“I started out in the folk music world only because of the way my songs...” — John Prine Quote

I started out in the folk music world only because of the way my songs were written and performed, with just an acoustic guitar, but I always related to the rock n' roll lifestyle.

I was kind of shy as a lad, and a lot of things that made me laugh, I found, did not make other people laugh.

I grew up in Chicago, but I spent a lot of time down in Kentucky, and Kentucky was about 20 years behind the life that was in Chicago.

It's usually drawing on personal experience. I don't think I could dig deep enough trying to get into somebody else's life. Like 'Far From Me' - I wrote it about this waitress that I was dating when I was fifteen or so, and she broke up with me.

If I could do acoustic shows for the rest of my life, that's fine with me. They require the right venues, small theaters or little bars. You can't take an acoustic show to a big ol' country music festival. It's more intimate, like being in my living room.

When you're playing rock music to 10,000 people, you almost attack the audience. When you play acoustic you're waiting for the audience to respond. It's a reverse energy, and you're more vulnerable. It's really intense.

In certain ways I still feel like I'm finding my way. I feel pretty comfortable playing acoustic guitar and singing, but then I feel pretty good sitting on a reggae groove as well.

To me, I don't see any difference between a synthesizer and an acoustic instrument. It's what's done on it that counts.