I think that New York liberated me in the sense that I moved here when I was 18, so it was a fresh perspective on life. I had been living in L.A. my whole life and I had never lived anywhere else, so being away from family and really making a name for myself was huge for me.

In high school, I listened to Lady Gaga and I was really obsessed with just being who you are and owning that experience - she was a really big inspiration in that aspect to me and my friends, who were young and growing up, and making our way through the city and the world.

I miss those days when I could just walk around under the radar and no one really knew who I was until I wanted them to know.

EJ Johnson Quotes