I actually grew up listening to country music.

There’s not a lot of ego in the Broadway community. Everyone’s out to do well.

Everyones got dreams, find the courage to follow your own.

I don’t wish that I didn’t have the screaming girls.

I found myself in a meeting on my 13th birthday, which I really had no idea the enormity of, but I was in a meeting with the CEO of Atlantic Records, who sort of signed me right then and there as I was playing guitar for him.

Miley Cyrus has always been, always been my childhood celebrity crush. I knew all the words to her songs, I’m not gonna lie. I’m not ashamed about it at all.

I really like ‘Wish U Were Here.’ It’s about being on tour, but really missing someone and wishing she was there with me. I shot the music video at different places all around the country, where I’ve been on tour.

I have an ear monitor to block outside noise when I’m performing. It makes it easier. But sometimes I like to take the ear monitor off and listen to the craziness going on.

Miley is one of my best friends, and she helps with some of that transitional stuff – trying to escape your childhood. She’s super open-minded, and I’m working on becoming more like that.

My accent fades away I guess when I sing. It’s real weird. I guess singing is pretty much a universal language like you sing however everyone else sings and that’s with an American accent. I sound very different when I talk.

Being a public figure a lot of people will really love what you do, but you know there is also a ton of people who will hate on it.

It’s my biggest advantage with girls – I’m going to try to keep my accent as much as can.

I’ve grown up listening to Jack Johnson and John Mayer. But I also love to groove on stage like Justin Timberlake.

I worked hard on giving my fans and giving the world a big piece of myself through the music.

I feel like if you can do multiple things, you shouldn’t shy away from them.

I wrote my first song when I was seven and that was kind of country. Now I’m just like ‘No! Why did I play country?’

My main focus now is playing the guitar. I’m not really like, dancing on stage anymore.

I feel like I’ve visited everywhere in The States and done the whole touristy thing.

I’m a seeker of transcendence through music, and that’s kind of where I’m at with the live shows – wanting to help people get out of their heads a little bit.

I’m a big perfectionist, and I like to make sure everything 120 percent, from the production to the vocal performance to the lyrics, the melody and everything.

It’s nice to have a lot of people supportive of what I’m doing.

I try to stay very, very true to my roots and my lifestyle and I wanted to be able to share that with my fans.

It’s insane to have a first album, the first morning of it coming out, it’s insane.

I’m pretty drama-free.

I used to listen to Keith Urban and Johnny Cash and stuff.

I think ‘Free’ captured a moment in my life where I was finding myself. There’s a lot of content on there about breaking free and just developing your own philosophies, and ideologies, or world views or whatever.

With the Internet, fans feel like they know you and I love that kind of connection.

Everyone was like, ‘Yeah this kid won‘t be able to sing when his voice changes, he‘ll have no career.’ But it’s gotten much better.

I like to write about lots of things in real life that people can relate to, that people can I guess connect with and the fans could understand what I’m talking about.

Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Neil Young and Bob Dylan are my main influences.

I want to do everything I can in my own life to protect and preserve the ocean.

It’s always good to have someone you want to be like.

I wrote my first song when I was about eight. It was about putting a diaper on a chicken!

For me, it’s more about the musicianship – focusing on the guitar, playing with my band, rather than just going out and doing what anyone my age can do with backup dancers and a track.

I grew up on the Gold Coast of Australia, on the beach, basically.

I want to be a great person, not just a great artist.

I used to hang out at Pacific Fair all the time.

I get to travel so much. I get to see so many different parts of the world. I get to meet new people every day. I experience new cultures, meet new fans from different countries. I get to perform for them, too.

For Valentine‘s Day, I wrote my crush a song and had it professionally recorded. I never released it, though, because I wanted it to be a song just for her. I thought it would be more special that way.

I realized I can do other things. I started developing opinions on serious matters and it’s not all sugar and spice.

I have a fresh start, now that I’ve turned 18, which feels like such a symbolic age of independence and hopefully a new phase of my life.

Our society is set up in a way that’s so against the natural state of nature, and the way it’s all initially intended to be. I kind of have to – not rebel, but peacefully rebel, in a sense – and do my part to protect it, regardless of the way that society is set up.

I grew up a competitive swimmer. I wanted to go the Olympics. Both my parents were professional swimmers. I competed internationally quite often, right up until I moved to California to pursue music.

To be honest, the acoustic stuff’s my favorite thing to do.

I wasn’t exactly sure where I wanted to take my music and how I wanted to be portrayed, and it was sort of, not done for me, but more directed.

Stuff that’s really not that bad is made a big deal. People like to do that about everyone. You just gotta deal with it.

I think I learned how to swim before I could walk.

Obviously spending my teenage years in music, and in popular music, I wanted to continue this career, but in a way that allows me to dictate it and create it myself as opposed to relying on third party or more corporate decision making.

The very first time I came to The States I came right to New York and I remember walking around Times Square, I saw a couple of shows and I thought, ‘I’d love to come here and do this.’

If you’re thinking bout me, text 143 that means I Love You

As a songwriter who uses lyrics to connect with others, it made perfect sense for me to partner with Hallmark, the leading greeting card brand that also uses words to help people make meaningful connections.

I think typically you’d start in a supporting role or an ensemble role, or maybe even an off-Broadway role. So to come into a lead role on Broadway, especially taking over a role that has been played by two phenomenal actors in the past, that is some large shoes to fill.

Vocally, I had never taken a lesson when I put out my videos. It was just a lot of fun. I had watched my dad play guitar, so I just sort of did the same thing.

Music is just where I sort of write my emotions down.

All my close friends are normal dudes and then I will hang out with some girl who is a musician and everyone thinks that’s what it’s all about.

Actually, I did get to help very much in the design of the Cody doll. I made sure the clothes were cool and everything.

I have a good time performing for girls. I think the guys will come when I grow up musically. We’ll see.

I want my music to be able to tell a story about what I’ve experienced and what I think my fans will be able to understand also.

I write about everything that happens in my life, whether or not the songs actually are released or not.

I’ve always been interested in kind of doing the thing that you weren’t necessarily recommended to do.