If you make people think they're thinking they'll like you, but if you make people actually think, then watch out, you're not going to be popular. Mat Kearney More Quotes by Mat Kearney More Quotes From Mat Kearney When I set out to write, I want to write something that will rip your heart out. Mat Kearney rip heart writing I guess we're all one phone call from our knees Mat Kearney phone-calls knees phones Don't apologize for all the tears you've cried, you've been way too strong now for all your life. Mat Kearney tears strong way Even on tour, where I perform songs from 'City Of Black And White,' I still do songs from 'Nothing Left To Lose.' I never turned my back on that material. On some albums, you change - that's all. The trick is to follow your heart and do what feels right. Mat Kearney you black-and-white change heart My songs have a layer of melancholy. Mat Kearney layer songs melancholy I grew up in Oregon, so there was always a lot of that folksy, Bob Marley stuff. There was a mural of Bob Marley on a wall at my high school. Mat Kearney high always high-school school There's this song called 'Brad Chester,' which is like the depths of my family. It comes from a very personal place. Mat Kearney personal place family song There's something incredibly vulnerable about middle school for me. We're really impressionable during that period. The cement's still wet, so to speak, and a lot of things later in life are born during that season. Mat Kearney me speak life school I'm a '90s music kid. Mat Kearney kid music When I barely got into college, the one thing I could do was write, so I became an English major. Mat Kearney english write one-thing college Owl City is exactly as you'd imagine him. It's hard to have much on him. He's like a frightened bunny. I feel like if you yelled at him, he'd just dart to a corner of the room. Mat Kearney city feel you hard I love Bruce Springsteen's writing, but I grew up on '90s hip hop, like Tribe Called Quest. Mat Kearney tribe like writing love God found me when I was at my lowest point. That was the first time in my life when I really felt like I understood who Jesus was - it was more than just knowing about Him: I felt like He met me in that time and place. Mat Kearney me god time life I can't help but do things my own way. Mat Kearney help own my-own way There are a lot of great recording artists, like Jack White and Jack Johnson, who stay confined inside a very small box, but I'm more like Bon Iver, who recorded an album with programmed drums, and the next record was totally organic. I get that. Mat Kearney stay small great white The problem in this country is people gravitate toward one genre, and that's what they embrace. I don't understand that. If you hit me with Bell Biv Devoe meets country, well, I like the sound of that concept. Mat Kearney understand me you people It's been awesome going indie. I don't need to be on a major label. I love not having to walk into a specific radio person's office to try to convince someone to play my songs. At the end of the day, it's more work, but I've discovered that I like to get my hands dirty. Mat Kearney walk day work love I don't spend afternoons practicing my guitar to get better. I do read, though, to get inspiration for my lyrics. Mat Kearney lyrics better guitar inspiration I never got too specialized but did like the Southern Gothic writers like William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor. Mat Kearney did got never like The criticism people could have of my music maybe is that it's somewhat schizophrenic at times. And if you don't like that, it could bother you. Mat Kearney you music criticism people