When everybody is playing at the same level, there's so much more noise. And there's less incentive for the people who should be rising above that noise to take time and invest in what they're doing. It just becomes about hustling and grabbing attention.

An old bandit adage: A bell is a cup until it is struck.

Pop music has always adopted the style of marrying upbeat melodies to dour lyrics.

As she walked, she breathed a quick benediction to the patron saint of sleuthing. "Nancy Drew," she whispered, "be with me now.

Music has been already devalued by the consumer. There's an expectation that it should be free so the race to the bottom has already been won.

There's a little less pressure in doing a solo tour, in some ways a simpler setup. A little bit more relaxed. But then also there's also - doing the big tours is exciting, because you get to put on the big show and everything. But I don't know if I would prefer one over the other. I guess it's no secret that I just don't like touring in general, but it's sort of the reality of the business these days.

I think the music should definitely underscore the sentiment of the song, and it can work for or against it.