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

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

I just pay attention to what's in my head. That's my number-one rule.

I think any songwriter or record, no matter how good it is, can become tedious if it's the same person's point of view. After four tracks, you start to get worn down no matter how good it is. It can be relentlessly good, but it's still going to wear you out.

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.

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.

It's like you don't know you're making a record unless you're half-killing yourself.