Certain things you have to stumble on to. They can't be preprogrammed.

I don't like the way recording to digital sounds. Most of the time when I'm recording to 2-inch tape, I still have a romantic vision of how songs sounded coming out of the radio when I was younger, and how they sounded coming out of my little four-track cassette player.

I love the sound of Elmore James, the sound early guitarists like him got just by using minimal means.

I don't really watch TV series because I don't want to get hooked on them and have them suck up all my time.

I get most of my inspiration from older records and older production styles, and that ends up rearing its head in the records that I make.

The way that I'm working now is basically the way I've been working since I was a kid: Find the greatest artist in whatever you do, and rip them off with respect. I think there's a big difference between ripping off with respect and ripping off in disrespect.

The best live recordings capture elements of surprise onstage.