There is always a mix of apprehension and excitement before you try songs out on a new audience.
I wouldn't recommend being a musician to anyone. It's not glamorous. It's a lot of being dirty, not eating, playing for five people and one of them is the bartender.
There was nothing more I wanted to do than to see my dad react well to my music. I still do. I send him my demos all the time.
To be gay is beautiful and right and perfect; to tell someone they need to change their innermost being is setting up someone for an unhealthy life and unhealthy foundation.
Mormonism truly was a part of my every decision since the day I was born. It taught me to serve others and to feel comfort about the next life. Who doesn't want to live for eternity and have a 'mansion in heaven'? It sounded like a rad deal to me when I was in my teenage years.
Now, there's parts about Mormonism that I love and appreciate. And as far as things that I was embarrassed about, I just don't feel it anymore.
Being a Mormon is not a part-time religion. It is your life. You eat, sleep, and breathe Mormonism.
I've spent a lifetime trying not to offend people - that's one thing that Mormons are really good at is smiling and shaking your hand and doing everything they can to not offend you. And I have gotten to this point in life where I don't want to live that way anymore.
When a Mormon knocks, they say, 'Can I teach you about Jesus Christ?' And if you say no, they'll say, 'Then how can I be of service to you?' So anybody who was smart would be like, 'You can take out my trash and mow my lawn.'
I'm tired of living the vanilla, non-offensive life. I think that's a really sad way to spend my life, and I lived it like that because that's what I was brought up in, taught to not rock the ship.
