It's a really unfair world because life is, where I am; all day long we listen to American music. So I don't see why the radios in the U.S. cannot even put aside one hour a day just to play music that is not American.
I'll be honest, watching the music industry collapse has been demoralizing and disheartening at times.
As long as each song makes somebody feel something, I think that's the point of it all. I don't want it to just be background music, you know?
It may not be the most popular but there is a place for it. I think about the kind of music I love, acoustic, melodic, and I guess it kind of took a bit of courage on my part to think I could be one of those songwriters.
And the music, as far as a type of music, it's still pretty viable.
After touring with David Bowie last year, I was inspired to look at what I wanted to do as an artist, and I realized I wanted to go back to the music I fell in love with when I was eight years old.
I've been able to find just as much interesting, exciting music through the Internet and iTunes... The personal interaction is not the same, and I'm not walking out of a store with a physical thing, so there's definitely an element that is lost, for sure.
There's this idea of a star, and this person is very aloof and writes all the music, and they don't talk to anyone unless they go through the record label. And I always felt very uncomfortable about that.
People my age don't always know where their music comes from.
I can easily say I've done everything I've wanted in music.
I started getting into Internet technologies and computers. I wasn't especially interested in being a musician, but I wound up finding my way back to being interested in music through computers.
They say women and music should never be dated.
I want to make music that will make the blood surge in your veins, music that will get people up and dance.
The heyday of video music was the mid 80's.
My sound definitely pays a lot of homage to the Nineties, but not just the dance music. There's also breakbeats, R&B, the big ballads. It's that whole era infused with very modern sounds.
My music, my whole approach to the synthesizer has completely changed now.
My songwriting process, and maybe loads of other people's, is just this sort of smashing together of emotions and stuff to make some music. It's kind of simple and really complex at the same time and, as you can see, incredibly hard to explain.
What can I say? I'm just a relevant dude. It's just natural. My hunger's still there. I still keep my ear to the streets. I record every song like it's my last. I just love music. I'm blessed.
Music is part of God's universe.
I tend to support and get behind issues instead of candidates, because of the whole 'Super Bowl' generalization of our world - You're on this side, I'm on that side; you're a Republican, I'm a Democrat; you're country music, I'm rock music.
I confess that I listen to my own music for my own pleasure.
Honestly, I've just made music so long by myself, in some ways I don't feel I'm a very good collaborator.
The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.
When I was younger, I was listening to a lot of Armenian music, you know, revolutionary music about freedom and protest. In the 70s I was listening to soul and the Bee Gees and ABBA, and funk.
I feel this music has nurtured me as I've been immersing myself in it. I've felt supported by it.
Because of things like iTunes and streaming and social networking, it's destroyed music. It's destroyed the motivation to go out there and really make the best record possible. It's a shame.
When I'm playing with the band or playing with some projects or some of my own stuff it's about the musical approach. That would be the more turntablist approach to things of where it's strictly about music.
I want to play music when I want, write a song if I want or watch a baseball game if I want.
I came from a very strict background, and didn't hear any Jamaican music when I was growing up.
I also have a big love of classical music played on piano because this is the environment I grew up in my brother being one of the great masters in this world.
My dad took me to all the best rock and punk shows when I was growing up and music has always been a part of my life. So I'm very interested in the music scene and I suppose that's why I've ended up going out with musicians. Dave Pirner is still one of my best friends.
I don't sing country music because I'm not capable of singing other kinds of music; I sing it because I think it's the most beautiful kind of music there is.
Even the most jingoistic person would have to admit that even American cultural music comes from Europe. That's what classical music is, real European music.
I've made more than 50 records with a wide range of music. I've often veered to check something out.
As hard as it is, as ghetto as it is, hip-hop is pop music. It's the sound of music getting out of the ghetto, while rock is looking for a ghetto.
What I was going for in the first two albums I didn't necessarily achieve. Because I was young and because it was my first time out. And the second album was such a 'quickie' sort of 'Let's just get it over with!' But the kind of music I make, there's a lot of subtlety in it. And I think it takes a couple of listens to actually really get it.
