I think a lot of people study the rules too much and then don't know how to be creative.

Compared to people in Africa, I think we've all had privileged upbringings.

Songwriting is hard - it's so easy to fall into the same traps. It's not like I wake up and songs flow out of me.

Vanity can easily overtake wisdom. It usually overtakes common sense.

The Strokes can play anything. They could play 'Thriller,' and it would just sound like 'Thriller' as played by the Strokes.

I'm really grateful. But I never had the rock star dream. I thought it would be cool to be a modern-day composer.

I don’t shake at the site of alcohol anymore. I don’t feel the need for it. If anything I’ll get stoned. I always told myself if it got to the point that it was affecting my songwriting and music that I’d stop. And it did get to the point.