There's always pain around. That's one thing you can guarantee in life - there will always be a surplus of pain.

You're one microscopic cog in his catastrophic plan.

I'm always sort of looking for projects that I can sort of put out into the world, into the public sphere, and to somehow cause an effect. I want to be able to create projects that sort of are going to make people think and think in this sort of magical, sort of fantastical way.

My muse is my wife. It's not some vague thing that flutters around the astrosphere or wherever it is. Sometimes as a songwriter you need something to hang a song on, to give it some kind of presence and form. For me, Susie is that.

The more information you have, the more human our heroes become and consequently the less mysterious and godlike. They need to be godlike.

I don't write happy songs. Who does? I don't know anybody who writes happy songs, really.

It's very important that the music has a sense of adventure to it, and that it's done by the seat of your pants. There's a kind of nervy element about it.