That's the most important thing, to get along with people. When you feel like you click with them. That's more important even then what their background is or what they've done before, how good they are, how new they are or whatever. All that stuff is really secondary to just getting along with the person.

I come from an art history background. I studied at a master's degree level; I chose to dork out on art for much of my adult life. A lot of my heroes are artists and a lot of my musical heroes have an artistic side.

I listen to Neil Young and jazz and classical stations and, if my girlfriend's driving, it tends to be Hall & Oates.

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

I don't like to have everything all worked out in my head because there's always a chance of it coming out different than you think it should anyway.

I think everybody has a painter inside of them somewhere.

My most cryptic, strange songs might be my most personal, but that isn't how people are going to receive them, because they don't know the code.