If you think of the way Howlin' Wolf made records, you get the feeling there wasn't a production manager onsite, or a publicist having his say on how he should sing the songs. When you listen to his records, you feel like you're tapping into his voice.

I've worked with just as many talented women as I have talented men, and I feel fortunate enough to have that great balance.

From a very early age, I started to get really interested in how songs were put to tape. Not just listening to the songs, but the way the songs were recorded.

It's a hard thing to explain, but the more I arrange for strings, the more I realize the possibilities.

It was endlessly amusing to me to try to imitate John Lennon and Paul McCartney's harmonies using the guitar.

When I started writing, I used the singing side of the production as a vehicle for melody and lyrical ideas. Eventually, that process of using my voice to bring ideas across became more complicated, and I felt I could use it more as an expressive tool.

It's no fun for me to cover a song and produce it the exact same way as it already exists. When I hear that happening, I have to say, 'What's the point?