In general, the musicians we met that made the most sense just said to do what feels right and try not worry about what other people think. I know that sounds stupid and simple. I feel like Neil Young has done that and he's still making albums. He's one of the people I really look up to as someone who has kind of stuck to their guns their whole career. Just making music for music.
Andrew VanWyngardenI don't think it is too good especially with music to worry about authenticity, it can get in the way of doing something which comes naturally from your own head which is the most authentic thing [of all].
Andrew VanWyngardenWe think about strategies in pop songs to make people listen to them and be like, "What the hell was that?" But then they have to listen to it again.
Andrew VanWyngardenThe main reason we didn't break up is because we weren't really a college band. We were just, two dudes who were messing around with music. We never played off-campus except for once or twice. We never had any ambitions to make it as a band after college, or anything like that. So that probably worked in our favor. We never took anything seriously, we still don't!
Andrew VanWyngardenWe're really into combining lots of different styles into one song: that's normal for us. It might seem arbitrary but we listen to a lot of music that does that.
Andrew VanWyngardenThere was this large group of people that we were talking about on the first album - "The Youth" - but we didn't really know what to tell them. We still don't know what to tell them, but we want to make it seem like maybe there's something we know that they want to know, too.
Andrew VanWyngardenI don't think it's necessary to worry too much about being authentic. I think a picture taken on an iPhone and then filtered through something to make it look like it was taken on a Super 8 camera can be just as authentic as something taken on a Super 8 camera, if it's capturing something real or beautiful.
Andrew VanWyngarden