I learned how to have a little bit of distance when I explained songs and a little bit of distance when I wrote them. I think this is more interesting any way in art.

As I've gotten older, I have gotten a lot better at finding the pleasures of making music despite the business of it.

I wanted to touch on the piece where often politicians use "god" to excuse their actions.

I always write from rhythm first, so if I need a song fast, I have to start there. Then I just threw some electric guitar at it.

Really, everything for me comes from "Manifestra." It was an incredible gift of a song; it really describes an important moment in my life.

It's funny because my main awkwardness around writing the song had little to do with the method.

The only really weird part for me was making sense of the person on the TV at the same time as the person who I am friendly with and do something so friend-intimate with as text.

So many policy decisions that effect musicians are being made without any input from musicians at all.

I like garage band for writing because you only have crayons and there are only five crayons in the box. Your choices are limited and I find that to be very good for me.

I am really pleased to hear each of my songs described as a total surprise. This is what I want!

I didn't realize at the time that if I wrote about something, I was going to have to talk about something. A lot. Ad nauseum.

She laughed for her wasted, difficult life that never had to be wasted or difficult in the first place.

Books! tis a dull and endless strife:Come, hear the woodland linnet, How sweet his music! on my life, There's more of wisdom in it.

I crouch in cornersThe infection is widespreadLove epidemic

A broken heart doesn't need repaired. Because maybe one of your pieces fits perfectly with someone else's heart.

I love religion but I don't need it for votes.

I don't put a penny's value on this life if only our Lord will give me a tiny corner in Paradise.

And I have a dream of a New American Language, one with a little bit more Spanish. I have a dream of a new pop music, that tells the truth with a good beat and some nice harmonies.

I have always been a dark writer.

Fast food may appear to be cheap food and, in the literal sense it often is, but that is because huge social and environmental costs are being excluded from the calculations.

I believe everything happens under God's plan anyway.