Bjork Quotes

I worked on 'Cadillactica' with the mind to not sample as much and focus on creativity.

For 'Narrow Stairs', the majority of the songs I brought in were guitar songs - songs we could sit in a room and just play. I can honestly say I had more fun and felt more inspired on this record than anything that we had done in a long time.

That's what I'd rather be doing more than anything. I love to play and perform and write, record, do whatever - just stay in music.

I've always been very independent, and I love being able to enjoy different parts of music. It's amazing to be able to hear the sound in your head and instantly make it come to life.

I was obsessed with harmonies and how to put songs together in lush soundscapes. But I don't know what it was all about, really.

Movie music allows me to work with players as creatively as I can.

I've been writing and composing songs since I was 5 years old.

I've always worked on all different types of music, some with specific project goals and deadlines and some not. Sometimes I would write a piece of music that is almost like a film score or weird electro pieces, wherever the muse took me, and I still do that.

I like people that can strap on a guitar and don't sweat the fact that you have to come up with a song in an hour. I want to work with someone who won't feel like they have to play along with Jason Molina. I want them to just have the confidence.

I consider myself a composer.

The Shins is, in a way, a recording project that turned into a live band. So I don't really keep myself beholden to any rules when I'm in the studio for Shins. I just gotta get it done as best I can.

The bass line is the anchor for me. I started with the bass, and either doubled that and then added the harmonies, or sometimes added my own harmonies that I've always wanted to sing on the song. And then it just went on from there - singing violin parts and trumpet parts and just trying to emulate the sounds of the instruments.

I have a piano and a guitar, and I tend to switch back and forth between those two instruments to help me get inspired.

Composers love to write for symphony orchestras because the symphony is the Rolls Royce of musical instruments.

I didn't really know what I was doing when I started. I just started writing songs. After two songs I just continued to explore it.

What I want to happen is to be really creative, and to play something new in the improvisations, every time.

When I was recording my first solo album 'Imaginaryland,' I was listening to a lot of movie scores.

Any talk of 'craft' makes me laugh. My music looks outward; it does not gaze upon itself in admiration. Artisanal is for cheesemakers. I don't know anything about music theory. Every time I approach my guitar, it's like the first time. There's no craft in that.

The consistency - either the theme from record to record, or the band, the different musicians - it really varies. So if I get criticism, I don't worry about that, because I'm still being creative.

Well, when The Black Keys make a record, I never really feel limited. To me, it seems the possibilities are always endless. The big difference has been playing live and being able to recreate every little part of the record.

I wanted to try to write songs on the piano to get a different flavor.

You have got to make new music, that is the way that I look at it anyway.

When you tune your guitar in a different way, it lends itself to a new way of looking at your songwriting.

Composing music is hard work.

Working with Prince, it's kind of like he's opened up this whole new world, especially with the horn players. And I'm like, 'Man, only if I had strings on this album, too.' And I'm like, 'I wish I had an orchestra.' So I just, you know - I just wonder what's next, you know. I just want to constantly push myself for more.