I think that painting is a very ancient form of expression.

I'm really inspired by the interplay of visual art and music, a total artistic environment where there's sound and visuals. When I think about that I get stimulated and excited. It's a feeling that you can't label with words.

I think everybody has a painter inside of them somewhere.

I'm always looking to rock out. But it isn't really about rocking out versus being mellow, in terms of your personal satisfaction. In the end, you just want to be good. When you look at something that's really good, it might be Iggy Pop or it might be Leonard Cohen. Whatever it is, you want it to be really good.

They're pretty good actually, Hall & Oates. I gotta give them credit. They got a lot of toe-tappers.

But the truth is that critics are by definition critical. That's their job.

The first thing that inspires any song is a chord progression. When I have one I really like, I get into the lyrics even more.