It's always something that interests me, crafting a really perfect pop gem, but it's not a lifelong obsession. I've kind of moved beyond it. I think I needed to get that out of my system, to exorcise.

I've always got songs ready to go. It's not a challenge to conjure anything, it's just whether the music I supply is desirable.

It is a game you have to play. You have to tour your ass off. It's just always "where am I now" versus "where could I be?" It's constant competition with yourself. But I'm up for it.

I operate in such a vacuum. I write by myself, it's a very solitary experience, and I'm not used to, I've never had a label or anyone to say, "We wanna hear a single, we gotta come back and retool some of these songs until they're more catchy."

You know what I think the guy who reviewed the live show for Pitchfork suffers from? Shy/asshole confusion. I'm not an asshole. I don't think I have to prove that to anyone, but I'm just putting that out there. I just think people should know that I'm not trying too hard. I think some people are just bitter that they ended up reviewing the show rather than playing the show, perhaps.

You're forced to step into that performer role. I can't just hide behind a synthesizer forever.

When people all wear the same thing, people notice. They aren't stupid. People don't go, "Oh, you can see right through them!"