When I write lyrics, it's only when I'm angry or hurt or sad. So lyrically it's never really easy going. And the music is always really intense.

The Ruts were a great punk rock band from England whose songs were as excellent as their time together was short.

You must never lower yourself to being a person you don't like.

It took me until my teenage years to realize that I was medicating with music. I was pushing back against my stupid school uniform, instructors who called me by my last name and my classmates, who, while friendly enough, were not at all inspiring.

When you hear about what someone else is going through, and you are unable to distance yourself from it or in any way muzzle your empathy and are inspired to actually do something, these are moments to learn from.

I think the most "passionate" I get about actual humans are the ones I want to kill.

For me, jazz will always be the soundtrack of the civil rights movement.