Johnny Marr Quotes

I just consider myself an artist. I don't really rap. I don't really sing. I just do what I feel is good, and people like it.

I didn't try to think what my audience wanted and then make the music accordingly. I made the music and hoped that as many people liked it as possible.

I'm going to make the music I make regardless and it's always going to be driven by rhythm and blues and hopefully it becomes popular. But I don't cater to, like, 'OK, I want to make music that's going to fit in this pop world or go on the charts, etcetera, etcetera.' Hopefully, enough people like it so it becomes popular.

You have to understand that your music isn't for everybody; your job isn't to please everybody.

When you're in the studio, you can't be like, 'I want to make music that everybody will like!' You have really understand your fan base, what they like, and that's what you do it for.

It's really tough to make a name for yourself without compromising and without fitting yourself into a real specific mold. When I made the choice that I would be involved in every aspect of music and not necessarily make music for radio or MTV, I was saying, 'OK, this is me. You decide who it is.'

My work is trying to at least define myself on my own terms, and then if other people enjoy things that's a lovely addition.

I'm not claiming to appeal to the same people that Christina Aguilera or Britney Spears are going to appeal to. I'm not trying to. I'm doing what I want to do.

I don't ever try to anticipate my audience. I just write the songs I want to write, and hope people like 'em.

I don't try to be someone I'm not - I've always followed my heart and trance has always been my main sound.

One doesn't make art for other people, even though I am very concerned with the viewer.

I can't constantly be trying to write the unwritten song, the song that the 15-year-old girl needs. I need to write the song that I need.

I'm not trying to become a pop artist, and I'm not trying to make sure I stay a country artist. I'm just trying to make sure I make the best music I can, according to my way.

You can't be trying to make a film that pleases all people, you know, so it's not a concern of mine.

I think of a band like Animal Collective where they really follow their own sound and I think that's a really important thing to do. You can find an audience if you can find your voice.

Music is in me. I don't have much of a choice. People might listen to one of my songs or come and see my because of my famous last name, but if my music's not good they won't hang around.

I don't want to be a part of the demographics. I want to be an individual. I wear each of my films as a badge of pride. That's why I cherish all my bad reviews. If the critics start liking my movies, then I'm in deep trouble.

Sometimes I forget that I'm supposed to keep people entertained because I'm just making music for my lifestyle and for my people who live my lifestyle. We forget that there's a world waiting on us.

There's this misconception in the industry that you might have to go a little lighter or skate on the surface in order to reach people - and then in your second album, you get to tell who you are.

The most important thing for me as an artist is having an identity.

I'm not really calculated enough or trained enough as a musician or songwriter to create a style in order to please people. Ultimately, I just have to do what I like to do.

For me, writing a song, I sit down and the process doesn't really involve me thinking about the demographic of people I'm trying to hit or who I want to be able to relate to the song or what genre of music it falls under.

Factoring in millions of people when I'm writing a song is not a good idea. I don't ever do it.

You can't expect to connect with everybody, and that's all right. The more I make films, I'm learning that you don't have to make films for everybody. A film can be made for a smaller group of people than that, and it still warrants an existence.

I guess that's the big challenge of any art: Do you want to be something for everyone or everything for someone?