I was been raised to believe I was an artist. I believed what my parents said and fulfilled it, like a prophecy.

I envisioned all these people who had been admired for having been freaks in their own time, and I saw myself in line with them.

I've learned that I shouldn't shrink from success. Though honestly I thought they'd be knocking on my door years ago.

Confidence was never in short supply in my case. If anything, I think I overshot the mark with confidence way too early in my career, and gradually, it's about just getting more humble and wanting to sit down more.

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

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