Just start scribbling. The first draft is never your last draft. Nothing you write is by accident.

I think 'Elbow' were considered successful even before [2008's] Seldom Seen Kid because we were living off the band. We have a great manager who keeps our coffers topped off, and we give ourselves a sensible wage with a view to having three fallow years between records. We always make sure we have enough money to make a record and not be pressured time-wise.

There is temptation to place too much importance on those things that you're meant to do, and not on to little everyday happinesses. I think if you do what makes you happy on a daily basis, your days gather into years and you have a happy life. I don't want to think too far ahead. I want to make sure that I enjoy tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. And we'll see what happens.

We [Elbow] have had some luck with media syncs in film and on TV. We'd love to do a soundtrack with a really cool director.

I'm not David Bowie. Who are we kidding? At the end of the day, I'm the same person I've always been. I'm Don Garvey's son from up the road.

I usually tell somebody if a song’s for them. I don’t always tell them if it’s about them.

"Open Arms" has a lot of unison singing in it. And it works: Grown men will come to our gigs and cry during that one.