Frank Iero Quotes

Painting is much more than therapy to me its a way of life.

I started writing songs by myself. That always came from whatever I was feeling and being honest about that because I never had any intention of anyone ever hearing them.

Songwriting is such an intricate part of me as an artist and as a person; I couldn't just let someone else do it.

I just make videos and stuff. There's not much more to it than that. I'm a musician trying to express myself.

Music was the one thing that was just mine, and no one could take it from me. I created it, dictated it, and it made me not able to let go of it.

I always loved writing songs - writing for myself and demo-ing songs, really with no intention of ever letting anyone else hear them. Finally the Foo Fighters stuff happened when I just went to the studio down the street from my house and recorded some stuff in about five or six days, and all these people wanted to release it as an album. I wanted to release it on my own, with no photos and no names on it.

Since I started making music, it had always been for myself.

Singing your own songs is all about individual expression.

In a lot of the art world, you have to present yourself as you know what you're doing at a young age. Music gave me another outlet. The 'no wave' bands were such an inspiration; it felt so free - once you start doing it, it's hard to stop. But I can't get away from art. It comes back around. I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't pursue it.

It is important to make your own stuff. Even if you are not an actor, it is important to not stop involving yourself as a creative person.

I'm not looking to be an artist to make money. I'm looking to be an artist.

I really don't think of my work in terms of a genre. I think of it in terms of what I want to say, what I think is cool, and what I'm good at.

I had very strong feelings, so the chance to make a film that deals in an imaginative way with stuff you care tremendously about is a real high. It's a really amazing thing to be able to do.

My work is literally my voice.

I got tired of playing other people's songs.

I just like to write and then perform.

I finally got to the point where I decided I don't care if it's good art or bad art - it's what I do. I enjoy doing it, and people like it.

I think every artist would love to just please themselves musically all day long.

Country has been a wonderful outlet for me.

I'll always write music. Whether I release a record, whether I let the public hear it or not, I'm always writing music.

There's something different that happens when you're writing a song for your own record that you know you're going to sing.

At the end of the day, my life isn't about other people's work. I've got to stop giving stuff away. I've got my own stories to tell, and a great need to tell them. I've got these images, these thoughts in my head, and I need to find a way to cope with them.

I never really focus on writing for other people, to be honest. Every song I've ever written was for me to sing. Maybe if I'm writing for a rapper, but I'd still write it as though it was for myself and then sometimes I'm actually asked to do the part.

I think the definition of an artist is not necessarily tied into excellence or talent; an artist is somebody who, if you took away their freedom to make art, would lose their mind.

When you make a solo record, it's you. It's your name. It has to be the right songs for how you feel.