I live on eight acres out in the country in Nashville, and it gets creepy and foggy. It's the best atmosphere to write songs.
What I'm hoping is that people in my age group will grow up with me and keep listening.
I actually did my first tour at the age of 10 with my dad, and it was as a country singer. We toured through Alaska, and he took me to sing at places like county fairs, hoedowns, backyard barbecues, you name it. We were usually passing around the hat for gas money to get to the next gig.
'I Think We're Alone Now' just makes people feel good. It became a teen anthem twice. How cool is that?
Like, it's fun for me to sing 'I Think We're Alone Now.' But when 'Could've Been' comes out as a single, that's a ballad and really shows my voice; then people will say, 'Hey, this girl really can sing.'
It was not appropriate for me to wear anything like a bustier or to be sexy. It was big hair and hoop earrings and jean jackets.
To just be able to sing and show off the chops is kind of why I got into the music industry.
Careers will come and go. Talent is always there.
Obviously, I wore a lot of crazy things on stage. That's just how it goes.
My mum really depended on me. I'm the eldest of three girls, and she had emotional issues.
At the end of the day, if you're still kickin', and you're still doin' what you love, and you still have a dream, that's all you need.
I came to Nashville in the early '90s, and I thought, 'OK, enough is enough. I write songs; I just don't have the backbone to show it to anybody. I want to go to Nashville and learn how to properly write a song.'
I'm a real girl. I get it. I gain weight, I lose weight. My styles change.
My best friend was crazy about Culture Club. She had posters everywhere. She joined the fan club. She knew everything about them. No one else sounds like Boy George, and I have great memories of singing along in her bedroom.
'I Think We're Alone Now' is one of the all-time great songs.
I want to play the Grand Ole Opry for sure. And I want to meet and play with people like Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill.
I have a stepfather who isn't around just because he wants to be with my mother and sisters. There's more to it. He's around for the money. He's proven that in a lot of ways. And my mom loves him. And that's not wrong. But when it interferes with my career and my business and becomes a threat to me, there's a problem.
It was Stevie Nicks who made the biggest impression and really resonated with me. I found her intriguing and liked her voice. Her songs were kind of mysterious, and she was a woman in a rock band.
I grew up on the West Coast during the '80s. But I wasn't a 'valley girl,' since I grew up in Norwalk, which was filled with Latina girls.
Life is short. You've got to live your dreams.
