I privilege the music over the lyrics

Emerson, Lake & Palmer or King Crimson or Gentle Giant - the worst prog rock references I can come up with. Though I totally loved those groups as a kid.

I mean, at the end of the day when I'm making a record, what I want to do is what I do

I'd have these weird experiences where I'd just be walking down the street with this chord progression in my head, this happened more than a few times, and I'd walk home and find a fax in my machine and it would match the music in my head

I'm fortunate I have this coterie of musicians around me to help take music to next level. Being surrounded by so much creative energy, so many creative people really feeds that creativity in me

It's inevitable your environment will influence what you do

I think my Buddhist practice has a profound influence on my life and encompasses my creative projects