I got tired of the Ramones around the time I quit and I really got into rap. I thought it was the new punk rock. LL Cool J was my biggest idol.

I've always admired people with really strong presences and felt that caring about the visual component of what you do is not intrinsically superficial or vain.

I couldn't do rap. I was trying. I don't know how. I'm not good enough to know.

Progression is important. I'm always going to play music in the general vein of rock'n'roll, but when I started I was very much associated with the West Coast lo-fi thing and I didn't want to get anchored in with anything that was just in vogue for the time being.

Visuals are as artistic as sounds, so being serious about both isn't a contradiction to me.

I'd like to thank myself, and congratulate myself, and give myself a big pat on the back.

It's very expensive to bring a band to New York.