Artist Creativity Quotes

I'd love to cover an 'Incubus' song. I don't think anybody in a cowboy hat on a country stage has ever done that, and I'd love to be the first.

There are reasons that bands and musicians make demos and outtakes - because they are not good enough to make the record. A lot of people forget that.

People think that the big companies make songs and their artists just release it. It's not like that.

The modern recording studio, with its well-trained engineers, 24-track machines and shiny new recording consoles, encourages the artist to get involved with sound. And there have always been artists who could make the equipment serve their needs in a highly personal way - I would single out the Beatles, Phil Spector, the Beach Boys and Thom Bell.

A lot of people do talk about the demise of the album, but I still believe that if an artist tries hard to make a great album, people will buy it and listen to it as an album, rather than just a collection of random songs.

Actually, it's the beauty of independent music that the artist can feature in his own videos and be the face of it. It is unlike Bollywood movies, where one does playback singing.

Bands are always told, 'Nobody wants to hear your new stuff - just stick with the meat and potatoes - that's what people come for.' That's only half-true. I know if I went to see U2, I would be thrilled if they did 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For,' but I'm equally as thrilled to hear their new stuff.

The difference with a major label and independent is mainly resources. That's the difference that I feel sometimes where I as an artist would have to be more creative and more patient.

The way the press works, people don't like to review or talk about EPs. It's considered, 'Why don't you just wait for the record?' But for someone who's creating, and the audience, they can get material quicker. I almost feel like putting out a few songs every couple months might be better than putting out an album every year or two.

People buy my albums, and I love my albums when I do them because we try to record live with that same energy, but I can never get the energy that I have when I'm live.