I'm not reading any novels right now, though not for lack of trying. Unless they're really good, my attention in most novels tends to sputter out after a hundred pages or so - an awful admission for someone who is trying to write one, but it's true.
Matthew HealyI think one of the dangers of humor is becoming seduced by it and sacrificing the story for a few laughs.
Matthew HealyThere's a lot of particularly good things going on in my life at the moment. It's the fact that I get to be an ambassador for the concept of modernity. I can be creative and useful. And I don't have to grow up.
Matthew HealyGrowing up, I was obsessed with Michael Jackson. I saw him at Wembley when I was 7 years old, it was my first proper show. He was like a god to me.
Matthew HealyIts quite there sonically; a strong representation of what the songs on our records are like. It's very loud and our set is based around containing as much energy and dynamics as possible.
Matthew HealyIโve always tried to find God in lots of different things, whether thatโs been drugs, women, etc, etcโฆ But all those things are tangible and they exist and you can see them and you can feel them. Music doesnโt exist, physically. Yet is commands ever facet of my personality and it has the power to command people how to feel on a physical level, uncontrollably. And I find that so fascinating.
Matthew HealyOne of my favorite quotes ever was from Slash from Guns and Roses and he said 'to be truly iconic, you need to be able to recognized in a silhouette'
Matthew HealyI don't know whether we'll have another Michael Jackson or Elvis, because the world's too quick to level the playing field in that regard. For example, if Michael Jackson did the moonwalk for the first time now, and it debuted on Twitter, the third comment would probably be: "He's just walking backwards."
Matthew HealyAs I tell my intro creative writing students, after reading someone you love, wait at least an hour before starting to write.
Matthew HealyWe intentionally didn't want to release anything when we were very young, I suppose, because we had a lot of foresight. Stuff can come back to bite you in the ass. Know what I mean?
Matthew HealyEverything's immediately diminished. That's why there's no real rock stars anymore. People are too accessible.
Matthew HealyWe've finished our debut album which has 14 tracks. We're very proud of the release and can't wait for people to hear it.
Matthew HealyA band that we supported called Blackfish in Manchester, played the most insane gig I've ever been to. Everything was set on fire, and then they came on and played one of the coolest gigs I've ever seen.
Matthew HealyThere's a point when you're dating someone where you become aware of all the things you kind of thought you couldn't depart from. You kind of build all of these nostalgias and sort of antiquated memories in your mind, and when you're at the point during the breakup, you realise, "you know what, it actually takes a bit more than all this bullshit".
Matthew HealyThe idea of being part of this tapestry of humanity is a far more enlightening idea for me than believing you are going to this different place when you die. The magic of reality is far more potent.
Matthew HealyI'm writing songs that connect to millions of people. And that happens for a reason. I don't really worry too much about people who aren't into it because that's the beauty of music. It's subjective. If every single person in the world loved our music, then that'd be weird.
Matthew HealyI need to keep my dancing on the right side of weird, otherwise it might get a bit like "American Idol."
Matthew HealyWe try to make the sound hold as much relevance as it does on the record you know, we don't try and interpret it in a different way.
Matthew HealyAlong with John Hughes, he's probably the biggest influence. Would be awesome not only to meet him; he's one person I'd also definitely like to work with.
Matthew HealyEverything that we've ever done has led up to this moment, so I presume there's a certain intricacy in that.
Matthew HealyMusic drives me insane, the incessant presence of music in my life. It informs how I see the world; it drives me crazy
Matthew HealyThe main reason we understand what we're doing is because we're the individuals doing it. One of the things that surprises me is that all the songs are about me, and it's cool that people care.
Matthew HealyWe now live in a world where accessibility is paramount. So I think we just juxtapose that a little bit and maybe play the internet like a game because we don't like to be exposed as individuals, we like to be an entity.
Matthew HealyI love the necessary ambiguity of short stories - there simply isn't time to render every detail, so much of the story that orbits the literal prose must happen in the reader's imagination. Who knows, maybe the dwindling attention spans means a lucrative future for short story writers.
Matthew HealyI think what I listen to now is what I listened to as a kid which is kind of black American soul. I love soul music.
Matthew HealyI suppose I view my behavior in such a unique way. I frame it as an artist and maybe kind of make excuses for it. I suppose I romanticize my own life when I write. I always try to think whether it actually is quite romantic.
Matthew HealySo many characters are governed by the consequences of their actions, and I wanted to have a character who is the exact opposite.
Matthew HealyWhen I was young I was one of those kids that got pulled onstage at a Green Day concert. That was pretty awesome.
Matthew HealyAt the moment we're playing more stuff from our upcoming album which is really a departure from any record we've done.
Matthew HealyWe had this realisation that we'd sort of travelled from my bedroom to America and all these people are watching us and that was awesome. 11 shows in 5 days I mean if we weren't going out, we were on stage, it was huge.
Matthew HealyThere's a lot that's happened in my life that maybe I didn't want to happen, but I suppose it's led me to exactly where I am now.
Matthew HealyWhen you start becoming a pop star, you think, Hold on a second, maybe my life is different now - maybe all these people that I thought of as celebrities are going to be normal, and when I walk into a room I'm going to be really cool and so is everyone else. But that's not what happens at all - I was awkward, and then I just retreated from any social engagement for about a year.
Matthew HealyI think the less individuality you portray... not individuality but like the more solidarity you have the better.
Matthew Healy