I suffer from manic-depressive disorder, and I've chosen not to take medication for it. Because of that, every once in a while I go through manic episodes and really depressed episodes.

To be a great band it's like you have that telepathy. You know when the bass player's in back of you without even looking. You know when your guitar player's coming up to you to lean up to you and sing into your microphone. You just know these things. You feel it. You feel the energy of it.

I'm not sober. I haven't done drugs in 3 1/2 years, so I call myself clean.

But at this phase of my life, I want to write and not have to think about whether a song is going to be a hit. I want to explore the music that inspires me, and I don't want to ape myself.

Sing the song or keep it inside.

I prefer to break new ground, but it gets harder and harder with the territory that's already been walked on.

The thing is, unfortunately, I write the best songs when I'm miserable.