Steve Harwell

“First, it was breaking out of San Jose. That was the first goal. We did that with the record deal. Then it was a gold record. We thought that would be a pinnacle.”

“I've seen so much: good and bad, funny and sad.”

“Sometimes, I wish the garage days were here again. I used to love that, when you're eating Taco Bell and tuna fish seven days a week and you're struggling to pay rent, your cable's getting turned off and you're plugging extension cords into your neighbor's house to steal their cable and their power.”

“I always compare our music to a race car team. I told the band, 'You build the right car and I'll drive it.'”

“The hippie culture has had an effect, but we all bring our own influences to the table when we're crafting a new song.”

“I've never seen an artist have a connection with their fans like TwentyOnePilots!”

“You know, I'm a big classic rock guy.”

“You have certain songs that bands make that just don't go away. We were blessed with that, and it was 'All Star.'”

“I really interact with the audiences. I make the audience part of the show. It's just a fun time.”

“I was never hip.”

“I think my biggest advice to anyone - and I've always said this and I'll say it again - Practice, practice, practice, practice. Do your best to write great songs. The easiest way to get somewhere is to write a hit song.”

“We found out radio won't play just anything, even if it's a hit. If they play one thing they know you for, and you get stuck in a certain kind of style, they won't play anything else.”

“I'd go grocery-shopping with my parents and the old-school nuns would be there collecting money. It freaked me out.”

“I can't imagine anything better than playing at a festival that includes IndyCars and a Milwaukee-style party.”

“We have songs like 'Holiday in My Head,' which has that 'All Star' vibe to it.”

“We never go through the front door. It's always the back door, or an open window or something, to get our stuff played.”

“When our lawyer was setting up meetings with record labels, I would ask him if he could just let me go down and talk to people myself. Even if they weren't into the music, it was cool to make friends and build relationships.”

“We got slagged so much by people who wanted us to fail.”

“We never do anything traditional.”

“Having new energy around you changes everything.”