It's really a sad story, and I liked that. The songs on this album talk about relationships in every aspect.
To me I think artists in general make a statement - and for the rest of their lives - every album, every book - are variations on a theme.
I sing some songs but don't expect me to release an album anytime soon.
I canceled the Russian shows because, from the days of the first Dire Straits album, I've supported Amnesty International. It's not a good thing to read about people being jailed for no reason, so I raised my hand and made a small objection. It was good to do - but where do you stop?
Nobody considers a covers record an album.
I just wanted to release an album of piano music for music's sake. I'm not expecting to sell millions of albums. It's was just nice to be able to sit down at an acoustic piano and make some music.
There was an enormous amount of pressure when my first album took off, and I struggled with the speed of everything and the exhaustion from the constant touring.
I can't honestly say with a straight face that every Avenged Sevenfold album is my favorite.
The Beginning of Survival is my best album. I am very proud of it, and I am surprised at it, too. I thought some of Travelogue was a little heavy, but I don't think this is heavy.
Every time I release an album my old record company releases another one.
Rounder Records decided to call the album Move It On Over, much to my chagrin but they knew what they were doing. It took off and to this day I can't figure out why.
I think it would be wrong to consider 'Ashes and Fire' a love album. The record is obsessed with time. I believe that there is a kinder view of the self on this record.
The acting part of me is not me. The music side is who I really am and what I want to talk about. It'll be hard for people to differentiate those different sides but I think it's possible. Once the music is out there, people will start to realize how serious I am about it rather than, 'Oh god, another actress making an album.'
After the success of my first album and the success of 'Flow Joe' kind of faded, I was struggling to make some money and make ends meet.
I'd met Dr Dre, he was thinking about his next album, we talked a little and he said, 'Let me give you some of these loops and see what you come up with'.
You listen to Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio in it, and it's not Black Sabbath. They should have just called it 'Heaven and Hell' right from the beginning. Because you listen to that 'Heaven and Hell' album, that doesn't sound anything close to Black Sabbath.
I enjoyed making this album a lot because of the knowledge we acquired over the last 3 years.
In my head, I consider 'No Turning Back' my 'dipping the toe in the water' album. It was mostly covers of favorite songs, and there were three originals in there. So, it feels like it was just my album to see what the temperature of the water was.
I was inspired by Solange's album, 'A Seat At The Table,' from the moment that I heard it. She has clearly taken the time to create a unique body of work and emote through her music from a true place.
If you talk about the 'Tango in the Night' album, the reason I didn't do that tour was because the album took about 10 months, and it was such an uncreative atmosphere.
The iPod has changed all that because sometimes I listen to an album from beginning to end, but now I put the stuff on shuffle and have the iPod tell me what I'm listening to, especially if I'm working out.
It costs a lot of money to make an album in a studio in New York with a producer and musicians. I have to pay a publicist every month. I have to pay for mastering, production, the manufacturing of the discs. Then, to promote an album properly, you have to spend a lot of money.
We did an album one time called White Mansions, about the civil war, but it was written by a guy from England. His looking at it from over there and it not being a part of his history made it so he could be objective.
I didn't put out this album because I wanted everybody to know I was grown up. I'm 21 and that's not grown up.
Everyone gets that second album syndrome.
Five years ago we were working on a new album when my health began failing.
I've been looking forward to doing an album, but it's really sad to see how many doors have been closed because of the gay thing. I thought it was about the music.
The BBC were not playing the music that was happening on the street so we did an independent production because we knew we had an audience. Then we licensed the album to EMI.
We play it differently now. If we did the album now it would be different.
I'll probably never put out another album because I'm a tough critic of my work, and I don't think I could come up to those standards any more.
I titled the album Reflections because I am reflecting on my music career.
Anytime I have an idea, I'll make sure that I put it down so that when we do sit down to write an album, I don't have to dream it all out of thin air. I don't have to be creative on the spur of the moment, or spontaneously artistic. I just take advantage of whenever creativity strikes.
There's a roller derby girl that goes by that name, 'Nerd Rage,' and she named herself after my album.
I miss CDs. I miss listening to a whole album, even the lame songs that sometimes grow on you.
I want to produce a country album for a country singer.
With the first album, I wanted to do so many different things, and I was fighting with myself to try and see if I was worthy enough to do it.
