Steve Poltz: You know what was cooler than writing a #1 hit? Having Mojo Nixon cover one of my songs, "I'm Gonna UPS My Heart Back to You". I think I am the only artist to have songs covered by Jewel ("You Where Meant For Me") and Mojo.

It's funny cuz I've been in smelly tour vans with the Rugburns where we would play a game called "find the rotting burrito" and I've been on private jet tours where a guy in a tux would serve me a quiche and try to touch my very own personal burrito.

I just enjoy being out on the long lonesome highway. "I'm a loner Dottie, a rebel". Now I just drive the hell out of some rental car all alone for miles and use a road map for a napkin.

Billy plays lead guitar for Bob Schneider and we bonded while I was on tour with them. I love Billy so much. He played me some of his recordings and I liked the sounds that poured out of the speakers. Then one fateful eve I ended up at his house in Austin and we recorded three tracks. I hopped like a bunny when I heard the results. We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun, so we decided, "Why not do a whole record?" This will be my first release on my new label 98 Pounder Records.

That was the weight class I wrestled in at Palm Springs High. I was a skinny 98-pound weakling with asthma, eczema and braces.

I spend 362 1/2 days a year on the road. I just can't seem to make it to 365. The other 2 1/2 days I do charity work. The reason I spend so much time on the road is because I'm trying to reach one million frequent flier miles. I get miles for using my credit card and double miles at certain hotels. I am obsessed with getting one million. I don't really care about the music part. I love to watch TV in my room and drink coffee. I don't feel right when I am at home. I can't get a wake up call and stuff. And I love the sound of someone knocking on my door while screaming "housekeeping." That knock always makes me feel like I am not alone in this crazy world.

One time I was on the road and I had eaten some bad Frito pie somewhere in the middle of New Mexico. I had to use the restroom real bad so I pulled into some truck stop on the side of the road. There were about 8 stalls side by side in the men's room and the place was empty. I took the stall at the far end of the restroom. All of a sudden this big old trucker came in and sat in the stall right next to me. After a few moments of creepy silence I heard him shout out "corn, I haven't had corn in weeks!" I hightailed it right out of there.

I was at a wedding in LA. and Neil Young was the best man. I was so excited to meet him. He is one of my faves along with Perry Como. We were both standing in line for the wonderful spread of food when I looked at him and said "these quesadillas are really good". He just looked at me so I followed it up by saying "the tortillas taste really homemadey". What kind of word is homemadey? I felt like an idiot and he sort of looked at me with one eyebrow lifted and walked away.

Most of these people are bank tellers. I have so much money that I always find myself at the bank. It is such a hassle always having to go to the bank to put money in. I usually bring in my guitar and play the lonely tellers a song. That's why at my shows you usually hear me scream "this one goes out to all the tellers!" I like to give back to the little people.

I usually try to answer emails and I make an effort to at least clean one person's house a week. They have to provide the supplies though. I usually play a tape of my music when I'm at their houses to try to get them excited about my music. I am really good at vacuuming.

Neil Young enjoys this CD. That is what they tell me. Answering Machine has 56 tracks and they're all 45 seconds long. These are all out going messages from my home machine. It is the perfect gift for those with a.d.d. if you don't like a song it is over fast. It's so lo fi that it makes Lou Barlow sound like N'Sync. I try to make up a song every couple days for my out going message at home. It is a fun game. I talked to Neil about it recently and he said that he likes the CD but it sounds "homemadey" to him.

I love playing in Ireland: Whelan's in Dublin. Good Guinness yummy yummy I got black stuff in my tummy. I love Sydney, Australia. Toohey's lager in a can and fun audience members. I played the basement and the Harborside Brasserie. I love playing in San Diego at the Casbah and the Belly Up and Java Joes. This my hometown and there is a lot of love. Good Mexican food and Tecate in a can and the Padres games in the afternoon. My beloved Padres. I love cold beer in a can best. I am not a beer snob. I like bad beer in a can. Something about a cold can. You can dent them with your thumb to make it a personal little signature.

I love playing in Austin. The Saxon Pub is so intimate and dark and smoky and they serve Schlitz in a can. The people at Antone's are super kool to me and I always have fun there. One time at Antone's I bought 150 shots of tequila for the audience. I don't think I made money that night. One of my favorite gigs ever was in London at the royal Albert Hall. I love the Beacon Theatre in New York because it is haunted. So is the Gramercy Park Hotel where I love to stay. There are ghosts all over that place. I love playing in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada at the Ship Inn. The Newfoundlanders are amazing people. They love to sing in their kitchens and drink India beer out of a can. I never wanted to leave. I love playing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I was born there and many of my relatives are there. Rich in musical tradition and lots of lobster parties and sing fests in the kitchen. Keith's beer in a can. Oohhhh Chicago. I have had many a good show with the Rugburns at Schubas Tavern. One time we brought the audience outside in the snow and sang "Dick's Automotive" while the snow was falling. Old Style beer in a can and cubbies games in the summer. Great hot dogs too!

I do Bikram yoga on the road. There are locations everywhere. It is like the Gap of yoga. I love the hot room. 105 degrees. I sweat out all of the aluminum poisoning I get from drinking canned beer. The workout is amazing for my bad neck. I crave it. It is kind of like belonging to a cult. It gives me a sense of belonging. I would give them all of my merch money if they asked. I am not brainwashed or anything but I would kill for them. But not butterflies I love butterflies so much they make me cry.

Yoga has given me so much more energy and I cry real easy at anything. I am like a little whining baby. I make myself sick. With yoga you don't need Prozac or Viagra or any drugs for that matter

10: What is your favorite song you've ever written? Your favorite song you didn't write?

I like all of my kids. Some are over achievers and some are lazy but I always seem to sing "everything about you" it was on the soundtrack to "Notting Hill". It is a simple song I wrote for a girlfriend who is up in heaven or wherever we go when we graduate. The song makes me feel all warm inside when I sing it. It is like a drug that I am hooked on.

I wish I wrote "Wichita Lineman". Jimmy Webb wrote it and freaking nailed it. It has my favorite line it: ". and I need you more than want you and I want you for all time." Think about it, that is a way of expressing and endless love. A love that is infinite in a beautiful way. It is sort of a conundrum and it kills me every time I hear it. Love reigns supreme over all.