I don't think that you should be per­fectly candid and frank about the intimate details of your personal life with the public at large. Subsequently, it creates consider­able personal problems.

You just write and you don't try to make sense of it. You just put it down the way you got it.

Most songs that aren't jump-rope songs, or lullabies, are cautionary tales or goodbye songs and road songs.

The first time I started listening to Irish music, I had a very strong connection. Strangely enough, there's a great many Japanese melodies and vocal styles that sound very much like Hungarian music. You start seeing all these cross-references and comparative, independent musical cultures.

My first big gig was an opening show for Frank Zappa, and I think that was difficult.

I have an audio stigmatism whereby I hear things wrong - I have audio illusions.

I think this whole division between the genres has more to do with marketing than anything else. It's terrible for the culture of music.