I've always thought of the sky as, like, an open canvas. When I was a kid and I looked at the sky, I always remember being able to daydream, just looking at the sky, being creative, being able to design things. What would happen if we had no sky? Where would we be? Well, obviously, scientifically, without an atmosphere, we'd all be dead.

With 'Elect the Dead,' I learned how to make a rock record without a rock band and make the rock record I've always wanted to make.

Capitalism unchecked is not a democratic system.

I like African music, and I'm a huge Ravi Shankar fan.

In the last few years I've been listening to jazz more than anything else. I listen to a lot of world music and experimental here and there.

I think nobody wants to hear a sermon. Well, some people do, but maybe not through music or not with me. No one wants to hear me give a speech that way.

A lot of pop music is based on trying to make people remember it so that they'll buy it. To me, it was not about that.