The orchestra's an amazing instrument, but I don't want to just arrange my songs for it. I think that might be kind of boring and a little bit overdramatic, perhaps. I'm still just having too much fun doing it my way, for the time being.

I write a lot more when I'm happy, because you're hopeful, you're motivated.

The first notes I still play when I start a sound check are classical. Those are my roots.

There is something comforting about going into a practice room, putting your sheet music on a stand and playing Bach over and over again.

Most records, you build from the drums and bass up. This one, we started with the vocals in Nashville and recorded them live with just the guitars and tried to make that complete and lovely-sounding without any adornment at all. I really wanted to get something with the vocal that I've never gotten before Armchair Apocrypha.

Playing the violin and singing and whistling are just three different ways of making sound.

Most of the songs that I appreciate are lyrically vague.