I was in school for literature, and read so many 19th century and early 20th century novels that it was hard to break out of that and read an average Jeanette Winterson book or something.

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.

It was a nice relief to be able to work on individual songs.

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.

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.

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.