When there are no women on the tour it can get awful and ugly - constant horrible jokes and gross behaviour. It needs to be leavened with a feminine presence.

You know more about me than I do about myself, that's probably true.

For me, it's all about The Dubliners by James Joyce. I love The Dead.

I don't write down my experiences, but I have a very decent memory. I have tons of books in which I write down phrases as they occur to me. That's how I write songs. I'll need a line and I'll go through the books and find it, the right rhyme and everything.

When I was 14 years old, I was a huge fan of the Velvets, the Stooges and the Modern Lovers. They are my three favourite bands. I never get sick of 'em.

I've got time, I hope, to make lots of quiet records. So quiet you won't be able to hear them.

I was hanging out with Jonathan Richman last night.