I'm always hearing music in terms of what I can take out of it, and I think I've always listened like that. I have a hard time just listening for pleasure. I'm much less about instinct, and more of a utilitarian listener.

When I live, I'll give it all I've got.

My only concern about art collaborations is that I never thought of myself as an Artist. My tax forms say Musician/Songwriter.

Growing up on the border there, we were always frustrated with people's pronunciations of towns in Michigan, and people mispronouncing Illinois. There are all these Native American words that no one really knows how to pronounce.

The World's Fair was the precursor to theme parks like Disneyworld, and the really sort of cheap, superficial promotional architecture that you see everywhere in the US. I think there's a danger when you start creating a civilisation that isn't meant to last.

That's really where my heart is, unfortunately - I'm less interested in songwriting and more into just making noise.

Life is all about toiling and labor. But obviously I get great joy in confronting challenge and taking risk.