Empires are doomed. They become more diffuse, more broke, demagogues rule, and so I was just pointing out some similarities between past empires and what's going on right now. They all have had to apply more and more harsh rhetoric of superiority and divine right to justify the building of hegemony.

The funny thing is musicians often love to go to see visual art because you've got all these pictures to turn into metaphors.

Writing 'February' made me realize that breaking form is a way of letting the song be human.

I try to be careful not to do single concerts where I fly out, do my show, turn around and go home.

Milwaukee one of my favorite cites; I think Milwaukee is #1.

Sixties folk rock was my original muse and the folk audience-people who listen to music off the beaten track-fostered my career. I definitely don't want to abandon the genre but I also need to make sure I'm Dar Williams first.

I went from having three little jobs that I strung together to being on the road full-time; having some savings that my managers told me to spend. You fly all over the country opening for these other people. You pay a publicist to get some press while you're establishing yourself and you will be solvent in this career forevermore.