Some people want to feel comfortable when they're performing; I'm kind of the opposite.

The more uncomfortable I feel, that's where I know the magic is.

I'm from New York. I grew up there. I grew up in Westchester County, the suburbs. For me, that was always the best of both worlds. I was super lucky to have a place where I could pretty much practice drums unperturbed. Obviously there were neighbor's complaints, but not very often, and I could get to the city easily by myself or with my parents.

Some people want to feel comfortable when they're performing; I'm kind of the opposite.

You can communicate by responding with your body or with a hand clap, with a laugh or with a smile, with non-verbal communication.

I always try to hit a few areas when I'm making a record; I want the sounds to be experimental and exploratory, I want the drumming to be distinctive, and I want my voice to be able to shine through.

I think of every song like a game. It's like a video game: "Okay, I'm going to hop over here and if I press this drum, or if I hit this note, then that doorway opens. Oops, I fell down a trap door but I'm in a whole new world."