Sometimes you just get in there and force yourself to work, and maybe something good will come out, ya know? Deadlines and things make you creative. Opportunity and telling yourself you have all the time in the world, all the money in the world, all the colors in the palette, anything you want-that just kills creativity.

I won't join another band again.

You need a little resistance-something to fight against.

It's easy to learn but takes a lifetime to master.

Saying you love something out loud with the wrong intonation in your face can damn you and destroy what you're working on.

There aren't that many things left that haven't already been done, especially with music. I'm interested in ideas that can shake us all up.

I came up from growing up with a lot of Catholic guilt, a lot of punk rock, hipster guilt in the later years where I think people have thrown a lot of things on me. Where I always felt like I'm not supposed to tell the horn section what to play or I don't want to come off egotistical.