“Basically, all the songs, at least that I do, are character driven, and I’m exploring different characters to find out who they are and what they’re up to. They come and introduce themselves to me, and I’m not sure where they come from. They’re probably all living inside me at all times. Half of what makes me up is spirit driven and half of what makes me up is flesh driven, to one degree or another. I guess that’s probably the same for just about everyone. I’m not going to celebrate all my demons as well as all my angels, but I probably should. I probably should be comfortable with all the components, with all these guys who are living inside of me.”
“Well, you’re moving air, but you’re also moving hearts and minds when you’re playing, and that’s where you achieve THE DANCE. When everybody is in touch, and everybody is moving at the same time to the same ethereal pulse. Those are some lofty moments, and that’s when those lofty bells are ringing.”
“I hate to write. I hate to put myself through it. I stop sleeping. When I’m writing I have to abandon reason completely. Writing is tough for me. It’s hard on my body. The best of it and the worst of it comes in…. the quietest hours, between 2 and 5 in the morning. I don’t sleep particularly well during the day, but when I write I don’t sleep, period. Like I say, that’s not easy on your body. I don’t feel good until that moment comes when you know you have something, and then I feel great.”
[In response to why he prefers not to listen to music that is currently en vogue]: “If I’m drawn into their moment, then I’m drawn out of my moment. And then the variety of music we represent is necessarily being compromised.”
“Asheville [North Carolina] is an oasis. I don’t know how that place happened.”
