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 was raised to be modest to the point of fanaticism. In my family, we don't talk about ourselves to each other. Vanity is considered the worst possible sin. I've gotten better about having to describe things. If you're going to make a record and people are going to write about you, it's your responsibility to answer questions. It's validating - I'm just very clumsy.

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

I grew up with lots of animals and I related more to them than I did to people. I feel a lot of empathy for them.

If you want to be noticed as a drop of water, why would you move to the ocean?

You can't just play the same thing, over and over again.

I want the recording process to be a time in my life that I will remember.