BRETT YOUNG

It might be a little embarrassing, but I never ever missed an episode of 'Dawson's Creek' growing up.

For me, I never really understood why certain lines had to be crossed in order to get a point across. There's a PG way to say everything, in my opinion.

I was writing and playing in California for 11 years before I moved to Nashville.

The first country song I ever heard was Tim McGraw's 'Don't Take the Girl.'

I surfed until I was 18, and being the athlete that I am, I got really frustrated with how I wasn't really getting any better.

We've gotten to play shows where I'm the headliner, so people are buying tickets to come see me, and that's when you really learn, 'Okay, who's listening to this music?' That and social media. But I couldn't feel luckier about the fan base that is starting to grow... People have just been super, super supportive and awesome.

I think Valentine's Day is one of those holidays like New Year's where people develop such high expectations that even if it's a decent day, it doesn't live up, and it's disappointing.

I had the best example set by my parents for what a couple can - and, in my opinion, should - be.

It is such a crazy idea that maybe something that I wrote or something that I put on a record would affect people at all.

It is such a surreal feeling to have my first single go No. 1!

'In Case You Didn't Know' was written in Mexico, actually, on a songwriter's retreat.

I always loved music, I just never thought of it as a career. Baseball was always my thing.

Californian artists are kind of willing to push the limits a little bit further just because that's kind of our mentality in that state.

It's always helpful to put things down on paper. That's why I started writing.

I always say, 'If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.' I couldn't be happier with where I ended up and how it worked out.

In a very broad statement, or mentality, you just want as many fans as you can have of your music. You want people to write songs for and connect with and play shows for.

I've never been that comfortable with the acting thing. It's difficult for me to separate what's really going on. If there's kissing, that's kissing. I'm not acting; I don't know how.

When I was young, I would just write poems into textbooks in class. Everybody needs that outlet. For me, I think it's less about learning about myself and more about just needing to get things out sometimes.

I've always been pretty in touch with what I'm feeling.

There's room for everybody to have success, but the moment I start slacking is the moment people will forget about me.

I tried to mix country music into my sets in L.A., and I noticed that was when people checked out. And I was like, 'That doesn't make sense. The genre that I love the most is the one that doesn't work.'

I have to be inspired to write a song.

I turned on 'One Tree Hill,' heard the opening song, and went, 'I got to know whose voice that is.'

I'm still obsessed with the beach whenever I'm home; when I'm on the beach, it feels like home to me.

I moved to Nashville with the same kind of mindset that I had in L.A., and that is to make sure you don't get outworked by anybody and make sure you're always writing songs and take every opportunity to play that you can.