You can build up expectations for a song before you record it, and then it's like nothing's good enough in the studio.

I've literally opened it up to suggestions and it's totally chaotic and kind of a bad idea. You don't need the actual feedback to get a sense. When you're showing a song for the first time, people can feel that newness.

Every time I make a record, it's kind of like scarification or something. You work 15 hours until you're stupid. You're just kind of all jittery.

Songwriters can sort of get away with murder. You can throw out crazy theories and not have to back it up with data or graphs or research.

I definitely have to give myself permission, like on "Master Swarm," to rip a lead on that. Just play a violin solo that's - it's a bit showoff-y, but it's fun, so who cares?

The idea of writing songs because you're depressed and you need to communicate it somehow, that isn't really true for me.

When I'm onstage, I'm completely comfortable, and I feel very vital and alive.