Sadness is a very interesting idea, this idea of sadness being some kind of default setting that artists will go into. And then I started thinking about this idea of sadness and happiness, and the idea that sadness is very loud, and happiness is quiet.

Do I create conflicts for myself? Sure I do.

If you don't mark your successes, the day your ship comes in could be just another day at the office, and there's no poetry in that.

You know, albums are a funny thing. They're not like an intellectual decision. It's a collection of your kind of musings. Like it's a collection of your diary entries and you pick which one's gonna make the most sense together and you put out a record and you sort of live it.

There are people who can sit down and write a song about any given subject, and they can do it really, really well.

I think it's very interesting, people who can't stand people who whinge and whine. It seems almost like a class issue. Because you think about who is the most positive, who's the most redemptive songwriter that's ever existed in your lifetime?

You know, albums are a funny thing. They're not like an intellectual decision. It's a collection of your kind of musings.