On occasion, I like to reread my grandfather's letters. While leafing through them, I'm saddened by what is being lost in modern communication. Soul-baring sentimentality isn't typically poured into text messages, tweets and emails. All too often, personal connections are brushed aside for the sake of convenience in a fast-paced world.

Letters From Home' is a story inspired by my grandparents' epistolary courtship.

Several years ago, I was creating a Christmas present for the family, a self-published cookbook featuring recipes my grandmother had collected and created over decades. While interviewing her for the biographical section, she began to talk about her courtship with my late grandfather.

Letters From Home' is a 90,000-word WWII love story with a twist, aptly summarized as 'The Notebook' meets 'Saving Private Ryan.'

I worry that people think you have to go to a university to be a good writer, which is categorically untrue. I don't think I learned how to write at Oxford. I did not go to any creative writing classes or anything.

Existential philosophy, poetry and art - just like sadness - were all unavoidable to a tender young man in the meat works.

I've been living a healthier life and, therefore, writing healthier music.

Writing songs has always been my first and foremost love, and, you know, whether I continue to have success as an artist or not, I will always write songs.