"The artist creates to save themselves. Almost always. And if other people can get in the lifeboat with us, we're just thrilled. I don't think we assume that's ever going to happen. It's creating like a little ministry. Certainly not a Christian ministry, it's sort of a ministry of creativity, a ministry of song. I think that historically that's what artists were about: telling an audience, "Here's what I feel like, do you feel that way?" And everybody kind of going, "We all feel that way." And it's an ancient art, storytelling and singing songs. It helps us to figure out how we fit into the human community. I listen to songs by Willie Nelson and think, Gosh, if Willie's been through that, then me going through that can't be all bad. We compare ourselves to the singers and songs that speak to us and get some relief from that."

Mary Gauthier