Luke James

As an only child, you've got to stand up for yourself.

Doubts may happen. But if you surround yourself with like-minded people who believe in you and who you believe in, and you have faith, all will be well.

You have to stand on your beliefs.

If you really want change, no one else is going to make that for you. It's all mental at first. Once you overcome that mental part, your body can do anything.

I'm from New Orleans, but I lived in L.A. for a very long time.

I always find time for my mother.

I was always attracted to music that moved people. Whether it be gospel, R&B, folk, hip-hop, pop, alternative rock - whatever moved people, whatever made a crowd just get lost in the moment.

Every time I perform or sing, I have an 'ah ha' moment. When I look at my blog and people reach out to me anonymously and speak of how I sing and how my music has touched them, it's an 'ah ha' moment. I'm constantly getting that, and I don't want that to ever stop, because it's reassuring me that I'm doing something right.

Being an only child, you just have a lot of time on your hands, figuring things out. Just doing music, man - music just came to me.

What I learned from Beyonce is just the focus, the drive, and to stay creative and to always give, just keep giving. Throughout the years that she's been doing it, since Destiny's Child to now, she's been giving.

I like to have a great vibe wherever I am creating. I like to have movies playing on mute - just eye candy - maybe a friend in the room, maybe a lovely young lady, someone you can use as a muse, who can give you inspiration by her essence.

Mostly everything I've ever sung comes from a personal place.