Doesn't every band sort of appropriate their influences into what they do? I guess that would be my defence: if you're making something, you kinda can't help being a conduit for other things.
Panda BearEven before I wrote any songs, I had this idea of a triangle where the voice was at the top, some sort of guitar element on one side, and then some sort of really basic rhythm on the other side. That's where I started from in the recording process.
Panda BearI have no interest in making music solely for a white audience. If that's what our audience is, I don't really feel responsible for that.
Panda BearI didn't grow up as a religious person under any sort of system or anything like that, I just felt like I've always been sort of intrigued by that - how it can make people's lives better - I mean, it's a powerful thing. So I was interested in thinking about that kind of stuff.
Panda BearThe visuals and the audio, could stand by themselves in a way. But the whole idea of the thing, is that they would exist together. So I think together, they're way more of a stronger thing. You could listen to just the music, or just watch the video, but I think it would really mean... obviously it would just be half the experience.
Panda BearI guess I feel like; if you're doing something and people are accusing you of appropriating something like that so obviously, then I would feel like I've failed as a creative person. It's just like stealing something and doing some sort of slight alteration to it - I'd feel like I'm not doing my job as a musician, or as a creative person - if it's just obvious like that.
Panda Bear