It's been awhile. The CD dropped since we last spoke. How did that feel?

Great, kinda. Sort of scary.

Why? What's scary about it?

Just having it all be…out there. All that personal stuff. It's like, what if people don't get it? It's just scary.

Have you spoken to any of your old friends since rehab?

Not exactly.

Do you regret not finishing high school?

No. Well, sometimes, a little.

If you could go back and change something, what would you change?

Like what? Anything, at any time?

Yeah.

(Closes eyes) I guess my mother dying. That's what I would change.

How do you deal with fans?

Fans? That's not really an issue. It's not like I'm famous.

Have you been taking your medication?

Yeah.

Why?

Why? Because. Because I have to, to stay on an even thing. To stay okay.

Are you working on songs for your next CD?

I'm always working on songs.

Did you know all along that it would be just you having a career in the music business and not Downtown Sasquatch?

No.

Does it surprise you?

In a way, I guess. It's just what happened.

Do you ever get stage fright?

Yeah. Every time.

When you were in high school your band was in a battle of the bands type contest that was held at Degrassi. What do you remember about being on stage then?

Uh, I remember thinking that song was probably gonna suck because I had just wrote it like 10 minutes before our band went on, and we'd never rehearsed it with those lyrics, and I had to read them at first. Like, read them while I was singing them. But it wasn't really about the band thing at that point…it was about Ashley.

What about Ashley?

Well, we'd broken up then, I mean, she broke up with me. And I knew she was pissed at me, I mean, I knew. It was obvious. But I didn't really get it. I didn't get how much I had hurt her. Betrayed her. But then I did…I just understood the whole thing in this, like, flash. Then I wrote that song and it came out actually pretty good.

So is Ashley your muse?

(laughs) Yeah, I guess so. I mean, she was.

Did you choose that picture for the cover of your CD?

No.

Who did?

The record label, or, I don't know. It just wasn't me.

What would you have chosen?

That's tough. It's hard to decide. But I probably wouldn't have picked a picture of me, and one from grade 11.

Are you ever tempted to do cocaine again?

Sometimes, I guess.

Would you do it again?

Probably not, because I don't handle it very well. Some people can just do it once in awhile, no big thing. But I didn't, actually, do it like that. I had a problem.

Do you have a girlfriend?

No.

Why not?

Why? (shrugs) I don't know. I'm not in a place to have one. I travel all the time, I work on my songs and music all the time, I'm avoiding parties and drugs…I don't know. I'm still a little screwed up to have a relationship work out that well.

Do you think Albert would have approved of your career choice?

(laughs) No, he wouldn't have.

Why not?

Because it's not important, he'd think it wasn't, not like what he did. He saved lives, he made such a huge difference in people's lives…and he made a lot of money. And he didn't care all that much what made me happy.

How does Joey feel about it?

Oh, Joey gets it. Joey's cool. He just wants me to be okay, like not manic and not addicted to drugs okay. Everything else is fine with him, although he did want me to go to college instead. But that wasn't for me.