I think I have always had a pretty strong creative impulse. And that has probably saved me from abandoning myself completely.

I've always done a lot of research and stuff around the songs that I write so there are pages and pages of writing and you can kind of see these songs emerging.

I see it as my duty in some way is to be out in the world as an Australian putting forward what I consider to be authentic Australian music.

As Australians, we see the law as inherently bad. We have a real inherent distaste for authority in our makeup.

When you've been initiated, you can stand in the world differently. And I think it is up to all of us, we can have cheerleaders, we can have supporters, but it comes down to us as individuals, how do we now proceed? Do we have the tools to proceed?

I write songs from the point of view I had at a time;I'm not tryingto write songs from a young person's point of view.That only ends in disaster.

I think I have always had a pretty strong creative impulse. And that has probably saved me from abandoning myself completely.