I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer it sings because it has a song.

I didn't really see the British punk movement if that's what it was as wildly original because I had been listening so intently to all the New York music since 1973 really.

I find that it isn't wise to attempt to judge people on their public persona and even on the music they make. Because I've met so many people whose music I cannot stand and they're very nice. At the same time I've met people whose music I've loved and they're not the person you've invested all this emotion in.

I can sing very comfortably from my vantage point because a lot of the music was about a loss of innocence there's innocence contained in you but there's also innocence in the process of being lost.

I've never intended to be controversial but it's very easy to be controversial in pop music because nobody ever is.

My first two records are so simply constructed. The reason isn't because I wanted to make simple music. It's because I don't really have the chops.

I think maybe because of the kind of music I sing people want to believe you're a diva. They can't believe after eight years and eight albums you're still relatively sane. I feel like they almost want me to throw something at somebody.

I wasn't very aware of pop music because I attended an arts school. For me it was all about jazz.

What I was going for in the first two albums I didn't necessarily achieve. Because I was young and because it was my first time out. And the second album was such a 'quickie' sort of 'Let's just get it over with!' But the kind of music I make there's a lot of subtlety in it. And I think it takes a couple of listens to actually really get it.