The first half of high school, I had a girlfriend, and then the second half I got to know these guys who would just get stoned and jam. I had struck the goth thing by then, but I still thought of myself as Ian Curtis or something.

I still have a very nonintellectual, nonjudgmental relationship with melody and the music as I hear it all in my head.

I knew what I wanted to do, which was to become a recording artist, so I definitely felt like I had a calling. The performing part was the part that I wasn't sure about.

In the years between 2000 and 2004, I always got the feeling that people were just starting to hear about me and they were all late to the game. I'd be out playing shows for records that I recorded back in 1999 that were just coming out.

I remember being very psyched for our first tours, despite not knowing about the endless stream of situations and setbacks that we'd face.

I do enjoy my solo time ... I want to stay home and do soundtracks and watch TV in my underwear with a keyboard on my lap and just be a couch potato.

I get to live down my reputation for being cantankerous if I slowly evolve towards being a really good live show.