The Blue album, there’s hardly a dishonest note in the vocals. At that period of my life, I had no personal defenses. I felt like a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigarettes. I felt like I had absolutely no secrets from the world and I couldn’t pretend in my life to be strong. Or to be happy. But the advantage of it in the music was that there were no defenses there, either.

Love is a very hard feeling to keep alive. It's a very fragile plant.

I'd had a rough childhood.

Innocence is drowned in anarchy. The best lack conviction given time to think, and the worst are full of passion without mercy.

I do have this reputation for being a serious person.

Eventually, with success, I started to feel more and more isolated - like I didn't have a community of artists.

I'm your biggest fan, California, I'm coming home