I love the ukulele. It's got a beautiful, melodic tone to it. There's something innocent and romantic, and it's just a grand instrument to play.

I noticed that on the Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds' record they could get away with racy lyrics like that because of how they looked and the melodic way they sang the suggestive stuff. They slid it by the censors.

Sonnymoon and Quadrants are a couple of bands that really inspire me in terms of the melodics of things and certain tones and just what feels good. It takes me back to the type of music that I grew up on in my household. We played a lot of gangsta rap, but we also played a lot of oldies, and I think that mix is part of what inspires my sound.

A great melodic line is like a person's soul, and coming up with an original melody, it can be like you are illustrating the soul.

It may not be the most popular but there is a place for it. I think about the kind of music I love, acoustic, melodic, and I guess it kind of took a bit of courage on my part to think I could be one of those songwriters.

I was looking for something a lot heavier, yet melodic at the same time. Something different from heavy metal, a different attitude.

German has always felt the language that I come back to. It's given a very hard time by most people for being ugly and guttural. In fact, it's one of the most melodic, lyrical languages around. And German literature is amazing. It's just a treasury for me.

For me the most difficult thing is that I am learning melodies on guitar from some songs whose melodies were not meant to be played on guitar. Ever. They were intended mostly for keyboards or melodic percussion.

It may not be the most popular but there is a place for it. I think about the kind of music I love acoustic melodic and I guess it kind of took a bit of courage on my part to think I could be one of those songwriters.

I was looking for something a lot heavier yet melodic at the same time. Something different from heavy metal a different attitude.