When I was growing up, albums were my closest friends, as sad as that may sound - Joy Division's 'Closer,' or Echo and the Bunnymen's 'Heaven Up Here'... I had a more intimate relationship with those records than I did with most of the people in my life.

My main interest is just to work with people who have beautiful, interesting, emotive voices; I'm not too concerned whether someone is famous.

I'm sure most people have this experience: when you're young you drink, you do drugs, you stay up late, and there are no consequences.

Sacha Baron Cohen is one of my heroes.

These new metal bands are going out, getting drunk and going to strip clubs, and they'll be doing the same in thirty years. There isn't even an interesting self-destructive quality to it . . . it's just dumb.

Here was long period on my life when I was very disappointed by the fact I wasn't gay. Because I grew up going to gay clubs, living in New York and LA, both very gay cities.

How wondrous familiar is a fool!