The group-effort sound in recording of Sea Lion is like, you really hear all the people in the room and hear them interlocking. Theres a real freight-train energy of all these people at the same time playing.

I wrote the album [Metals] in the fall. In about four months, I went from zero to finished. It usually takes forever.

I think that's more a reflection of the fact I've never been a student of any particular school of writing, or even listening.

I like being swept up in weather and observing it as something beautiful and giant.

I said I'd stop for a year, which was inconceivable to me and everyone around me. It seemed like so long. But then, after that year, I looked up and I still hadn't gotten my land legs back at all.

Now, there's just so much imagery. Imagine what our grandkids are going to be able to see of us?

Musically, I didn't relate to Berlin. There seemed to be a lot of machine music made there - I don't think I saw a stringed instrument in two years.