When I meet the right girl I'll definitely have no hesitations to a relationship.

When I was younger, I was afraid to be myself.

Winning 'American Idol' is awesome.

Working a job I love is mentally less stressful than punching in a clock everyday, but it's a lot busier.

Writing isn't everyone's favorite thing to do or what their thing is.

Writing on the road is a passion of mine.

I think a big part of 'American Idol' that scares people and actually has, I'm sure, stopped people from trying out is the fact that you do have to do things that are necessarily not your genre.

If you've ever lived in Chicago, anyone who has, they know what a winter in Chicago is like. To be going through a tough time here in the winter would be just be all the more worse.

When you go through life, when you go through different things, you take risks, you question yourself. I think everybody does, at some point in their life, question themselves.

Bagel in the morning is the ultimate breakfast for me; they're just good.

Doing charity work is always cool. It's always a good thing.

Food in Chicago is the best.

I don't like to have really any expectations for myself.

I have goals that I want to reach, but you can never plan what's going to happen next.

I know what it's like to be shoveling to pay bills. I know what it's like to not have a job.

I know who I am as an artist. I've always known who I am as an artist.

I like blue a lot, and greens. Earthy blues and greens.

I love knowing that people are connecting to my lyrics, my music and me.

I love performing.

I love Soundgarden, I love Rage Against the Machine, Simon & Garfunkel.