It is better to live presently. By living thus, perhaps we can learn to understand the nature of this fragile coexistence we share with the world around us.

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.

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

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

If Broadway musicals were as popular as they were in the 20s, 30s, and 40s, then people like Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine would be writing for Broadway, which would be amazing. As it stands, it's the worst stuff that's mired in pop music.

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.

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.