It's something I've always loved doing. I'm not one of the artists who comes in and just does my bit. I'm there every second of every day. That's my hands-on situation.

Red carpets are pretty unpredictable. You can go from one person asking you what you're wearing to the next person asking you about the situation in Haiti. It's the extreme juxtaposition, and some of the questions can throw me!

The records in the house I really remember were, well, Glen Campbell's 'Wichita Lineman' and 'Galveston.' Even as a kid, I knew these songs were glorious. My dad also had records by Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, and then there was also the Eagles and Don Henley. Anything Texas, which includes Don Henley, was big.

There are certain songs that are sacred. People want to hear them just as they are in their head; they don't want you messing around with them. And then there are some other songs, if they've been around a long time in our set list, that I think we can take some creative liberties with.

You're always in a different headspace when you make each record, so hopefully they're all different. You just pick up things that you wish you hadn't done on the first one.

It's not the case of turning in a bunch of songs and recording the next month. I think you're looking for songs all year long and you're writing all year long.

At the end of the day, the Grammys are about recognizing genres that are making an impact.

Being with my family is very important to me, and touring is very important to me, too, because it's who I am. It's what I do.

Country seems to be finding a bigger audience. Certainly an audience out of the general country scene is finding me.

Getting on the bus and touring was my life. And when that was not around, I felt myself a bit lost at times, because that was all I had.

I don't swear much; I've taken those words out of my vocabulary, and having kids, you have to have two sets of language!

I love the beginnings of artists when all they've got is raw talent and nothing else.

I make no apologies for being a huge fan of radio songs.

I tend to write better when I'm not touring.

I think it took me a while to convince Nashville that what I do is genuine and my heart's in the right place, and I love country music.

I'm a little more comfortable in that role. I love being in the studio.

I've always been a pretty private, quiet kind of person and so I haven't had to change my life really at all, I don't think.

I've never wanted to name an album from a song title if I could avoid it because I like it to be a body of work.

My father's record collection was all country. That's how I was exposed to it.

Once we get into the groove, we're kind of like long-distance runners - that adrenalin kicks in for me and I just keep running - and I don't stop!