Any time you have a song that is directly connected to a very specific musical trend of the moment, you have immediately cut it off at the knees, doesn't matter if it goes to number one in the world, if you're too attached to a production style.

I am not opposed to doing a side project, like Death Cab for Cutie, where it's completely different from my own band.

When I moved to L.A., I was penniless, absolutely beyond broke and in debt up to my eyeballs.

I think the true test of a pop song, for me, and I've talked to a lot of other writers about this, is you take your demo, you pop it in your car and you drive down Sunset Blvd. to Santa Monica, and that's the Hollywood car test.

Any time you have a song that is directly connected to a very specific musical trend of the moment, you have immediately cut it off at the knees, doesn't matter if it goes to number one in the world, if you're too attached to a production style.

Everything that kills me , makes me feel alive

The Beatles are the most credible band in the history of music.