I'm a great songwriter, but I'm not the most talented musician.

My first instinct when I write songs is not a negative one. It's something positive... Everything I've ever done has some form of hope in it, I think.

You can't be a mod and a rocker. You have to choose sides.

Producers like to record all the drums first, then they do the bass, then all the guitars, so you're constantly moving from one song to another.

You've got to be strong enough for love. It's very easy to be cool and cynical. It's very difficult to just let yourself go and be in love. You've got to be strong enough for that.

As I get older, I don't aggressively pursue songs. All the great ones just appear.

Gone are the days when Virgin Records was owned by Richard Branson, a fan of music. Now they're all owned by some guy who bought it off some guy who bought it off some guy who wants a return on his investment.