Grace Potter

“I know what it takes to gain a fan.”

“Every single song I write has to feel like it has a beginning, middle, and end, like a movie or a short story.”

“I think that identity and sort of the brand - I hate that word - the brand of the musician should be malleable. It should change, and it should grow.”

“With my childhood and growing up in a very free place where my parents were artists and always encouraging me to explore, you wouldn't think I was locked up in my own mind, but I was.”

“I'm very much a word-centric writer, and that comes from the literature and the reading that I did as kid and also the films and mythology and stories.”

“I usually start with a lyric or a melody and then build a song around that.”

“In a lot of ways, the Nocturnals are a safety net and a beautiful, beautiful blanket. All the life and music we've woven makes it so much more than a name on a marquee. But I realized the Nocturnals aren't me but a part of me... so it's natural to want to grow.”

“I really love what Chuck Berry did with Christmas music, and also the Rat Pack Christmas stuff, which I listened to all through my childhood.”

“A lot of the themes that I write about are an affirmation of our existence on earth and making people feel like they are not alone, and making them feel like it is OK to be a little bit insane. That has always been sort of my credo in life.”

“I've seen Coldplay live a couple of times, and you feel like you just got rained over with glorious, glowing love. That's a good feeling to leave people with.”

“Love yourself. Then find something to love beyond yourself.”

“There are a lot of bands coming up now that are literally thrusting their soul, their passion into something that fans can pay for a ticket to go see, and they know it's going to be awe-inspiring.”

“The misconception about the record company is that they were the ones who got me wearing short skirts, or got me to do my hair blond, or got me to dance around onstage and start doing different things with my clothes. No, that was actually all me.”

“The longevity of a band is really contingent on loving the people that you're making music with and being able to get along in the long run. It's just like being married, except you're married to more than one person!”

“Mick Jagger knows how to run a show. It's all about pacing. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. His output is amazing, but his movements are subtle. As I get older, I'll have to adhere to these rules.”

“Obvious is not my forte. I take a left turn right when everybody thinks I'm going to go straight.”

“I'm quite a nurturing person, and I'm more a mom than a crazy, partying rock star.”

“I'm a very loud and outspoken creature.”

“As long as you have balance, you can experience all of the things going on in the world and reach out and meet people and try new things, and you shouldn't be judged for it.”

“You have to be a part of the conversation if you want to change the conversation.”