Did you face any challenges while writing the book? How did the process differ, if at all, from writing music?

One of the biggest challenges was writing something that stemmed from real life. Nobody wants to talk about anxiety and depression and being scared and feeling crippled at times. It’s not a fun thing to discuss. I have written scripts for my albums before, I have done concept albums, so I guess it is something that has been building up.

What do you hope readers to take away from it?

I guess the biggest thing is as long as you deal with your problems head-on and face your demons, whatever they may be — mental, physical, emotional — if you truly deal with it, it gets better. An d that you can do anything you want. I am a dude with no formal education. I didn’t even graduate from high school. But you can’t let that tear you down.

Your characters listen to a lot of contemporary music and artists, like Toro y Moi and Rex Orange County. Can you talk about the relationship between music and the novel?

I thought it would be really cool if when readers see that artist’s name and the song on that page, maybe they will play that song while they read. We tend to associate our emotions and experiences with what we are listening to or watching. I just thought it would be cool to add these artists who have given me great memories and pass that on to readers.

Are there any other songs or albums or artists you were listening to while writing the book?

Oh, definitely — I actually created a playlist on Spotify.