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

When you get respect from the people who are buying your music and coming to your shows, there's an expectation that you have to live up to your own standards.

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.

No-one wants to hear anything spoken in earnest anymore, unless it happens to involve unrequited, teenage love.

My mother was a Chinese trapeze artist in pre-war Paris Smuggling bombs for the underground. And she met my father at a fete in Aix-en-Provence; He was disguised as a Russian cadet in the employ of the Axis.

I wish I had a better range, but I really have a super-limited one. Barely a tenor, dips into baritone - that's about it.

I pretty much draw the line when people want you to do original music for commercials.