When I began writing songs, there was a pretty direct line between what was happening in my life and what I wrote about. So my first album was really all about my failed attempts to make a particular relationship work.

As a listener, I like a wide range of sounds.

I am really pleased to hear each of my songs described as a total surprise. This is what I want!

As I've gotten older, I have gotten a lot better at finding the pleasures of making music despite the business of it.

Really, everything for me comes from "Manifestra." It was an incredible gift of a song; it really describes an important moment in my life.

My approach to writing and recording now is pretty much the same as when I started. Except now I worry even less about what people will think of what I made. And I am not drunk.

When I'm recording something (especially because I produce my own music) I might consider how hard it would be to replicate a song on stage.