Use your imaginations, and use your empathy. If you don't do that, you're limiting yourself as an artist, and you're hurting the world.
I think 'Interscope' always puts the artist first, and they're focusing on these artists' development. I felt like that was a part of my career that I kind of needed to focus on after having come from the radio and getting exposure that way. I wanted to grow my brand and grow my fanbase, and they have proven to be the best fit for that.
The connection I have with my fans is so important, and I want to break the boundaries and break the barriers between an artist and a crowd. It is so important, and I learn so much through my fans, and they help me.
I feel that my fans have cultivated my talent and they continue to nurture me.
Nas' longevity comes from him having strong lyrical value in his songs, him being more like a poet and improving over time.
I tell each artist they have to grow toward a revenue stream.
Over the years, El Perro del Mar became this artist that, every record that came out, I just loved it.
I'm playin' music for a certain type of person. Fortunately, there are more and more of us. At least there are more comin' to see me than there were 30 years ago or so.
I think any artist that's going to become anything in this world faces humility: with great humility comes great success.
I'm really excited about what the future holds and to grow as an individual and as an artist.
Especially when the expectations become so high of you, you always remember the last record that might have been really successful, and you're trying to outdo that or trying to make something that does not sound like the last record.
With my first album it was a little bit like I was practicing.
[Sam Phillips] laughed at me. I just didn't like the way I Walk The Line sounded to me. I didn't know I sounded that way. And I didn't like it. I don't know. But he said let's give it a chance, and it was just a few days until - that's all it took to take off.
Every master knows that the material teaches the artist.
I think it's very dangerous as an artist to be comfortable.
I've definitely become more commercially successful. I think everything has changed over the past two years. People seem to take me seriously now as a songwriter for other artists and as an artist, which is funny to me because I always thought I was good. I guess that's the main change, which is pretty interesting.
The Kyle who made 'Smyle' honestly has a little more conflict in his life. He has a little more weight on his shoulders. He feels like he has to make an album about something. It's a Kyle with duty, with a plan, with a responsibility.
I think, as an artist, you definitely have to evolve. I've learned that that's very important. However, you have to stay true to yourself while also keeping up with the trends in music and this industry.
Allowing for exceptions, there is still one basic difference between the traditional arts and the mass-media arts: in the traditional arts, the artist grows; in a mass medium, the artist decays profitably.
I lived in Nashville for about five years. It was almost like me going to college for my craft. I immersed myself in the songwriting community there. They embraced me, and I made some real friends but also learned so much.
I love having a major label behind me. Independent was really great to start off, as and I made some really big moves and gained a lot of fans.
The first album is the prelude to the full story of Luke James. It establishes me as an artist you can look forward to.
It used to be that labels would spend two or three or four albums developing a new artist before they threw in the towel and moved on, which kind of gave the artist an opportunity to grow.
It used to be that Nashville would work to develop promising artists.
I'm extremely proud I was born and raised in the Bay Area and loved representing Oakland. I started recording in the Bay Area and worked with a lot of different producers. But I always wanted to collaborate with different writers and get different perspectives.
