The only ones that stand out to me are people like Jonathan Richman or Robyn Hitchcock, who can make you totally cry while their music is so funny and they're hilarious. They know they're great but they also don't think they're better than you and they really invite you into their show.

I have a hard time taking myself seriously. My band the New Pornographers doesn't take me seriously, which is why I love them. We can't stand up there and pretend. What we're doing is really important to me and it's my job and I love it, but I can't just stand there unflinchingly noble in front of the audience.

Rich kids who write songs about food stamps always piss me off. I'm not going to write any songs about that, either.

I think my songwriting might be a little more on the darker side maybe.

Every band wants to go believe me, not everybody makes it, but they want to.

I just really dig feeling subservient to nature. It brings me a peace and calm, kind of like a Faustian thing, I think...

There's just kind of a sweetness about Canadians. Americans are a little more pushy, I mean, in a way that I enjoy - they're basically pushy because of their enthusiasm - we're a lot clumsier than other people.