James Mercer Quotes

For the longest time, I wanted to become a pianist. That was kinda my thing.

I want to do music, and I want that to be the highlight of everything that I do. I want that at the forefront.

I wanted to play music. I didn't think about where it would go or what it would do.

This image of wanting to be an artist - that I would in some way become an artist -was very strong. I knew for a long, long time that that's what I would be. But nothing I ever did seemed to bring me any nearer to the condition of being an artist. And I didn't know how to do it.

I've dreamed about doing music since I was three or four years old.

In the beginning of my career, I wanted to be chased by girls more than anything - that's why I got the guitar. By the time we were in ABBA, the music was the only important thing.

From childhood I was passionately fond of music and wanted to be a musician. I have no recollection of any real desire ever to be anything else.

By the time I hit college, my secret shame was the reason I was an actor was my own words sort of dried up. I stopped writing. I stopped being able to form my own vision. That's actually what my first feature is about - looking back at two different selves.

I've always loved music and felt connected to it, but was too afraid to explore that avenue.

When I was thirteen I only wanted to be a drummer.

I started bands at a pretty young age and played with my friends back in Detroit. I've always known that I wanted to do this. It was all I was ever interested in doing. I never had, outside of music, any extracurricular activities that I took part in.

I still love playing music. It was all I ever wanted to do, and I got the chance to do it.

But music was never something I saw myself doing.

That's something I want to do: cover all sorts of genres to find the one I love most.

I truly never saw myself doing anything other than music. There was nothing else that brought me this much joy, but also this much frustration.

There's been a time where I was like, I wanna be a folk singer; no, I wanna sing soul. I want to sing classical music. I want to sing R&B. I want to be on Broadway. I just wanna sing. Whatever comes out of my mouth, that's what I want to do.

I'm doing exactly what I always wanted to do, and I still like what I can do musically.

I used to have these reoccurring dreams that I played guitar, which I thought was so bizarre. It all sort of fit together at some point, and I said 'I want to play guitar.'

I feel like my whole life I've been searching for what I want to do, searching for my identity as a musician and a songwriter, and my band's identity.

I think I have music in me! I had a scholarship to study singing at one point, and I've never really done anything about it. I've done some music on stage, but it's been a long time. It would be kind of fun.

Music became my focus. At 13, I was jamming with my mates. At 15, I was playing clubs.

I don't think I can ever escape from music.

I started in music and that's my forte and that's what I've always done and where I'm heading.

Being an artist doesn't mean that you're a good artist. That was the bargain I first made with myself: I'd say, I'm an artist, but I'm not really very good.

As a musician, you just want to be able to do what you love.