In reality, I've probably got the lowest self-esteem of anybody I know, which has really been rubbed in my face lately in personal situations.

The sober guy is always going to have this air of arrogance or self-righteousness, but it's not my intention. I just knew that if I drank, I'd have a drinking problem.

I read a lot - surveys of vernacular music. A lot of it is the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music, which I've loved since I was in high school. They had it at the library and I always thought that was interesting, even when I was into punk and stuff. Just the history of storytelling and the amount of melancholy a lot of old music has.

The same people that always think I'm pretentious will think I'm pretentious, and the people who relate to me will continue to relate to me.

I've always said I write albums; I don't write random songs and then sort them out.

I've been used for writing rhythm guitar chords for a long time because it's so easy to play and chords just sound good on it.

I like my solitude, and I'm a strong-willed person; I'm a very hard-to-be-around person sometimes, I guess.