As a musician I tell you that if you were to suppress adultery, fanaticism, crime, evil, the supernatural, there would no longer be the means for writing one note.

I want to do nothing chic, I want to have ideas before beginning a piece.

Religion is a means of exploitation employed by the strong against the weak; religion is a cloak of ambition, injustice and vice.

What a beautiful art, but what a wretched profession.

I feel the 21st century is another new age. Not only can we collaborate again with nature, but we have to. It's an emergency.

I love being a very personal singer-songwriter, but I also like being a scientist or explorer.

I love hiking in Iceland most, there are lots of brilliant paths.

I'd done three solo albums in a row, and that's quite narcissistic.

I'm a bit of a nerd, I wouldn't mind working in a shop selling records, or having a radio show where I could play obscure singles.

I've been traveling in Guatemala in the rainforest, and here all these houses are made of sticks. It seems so easy to make one.

If nothing else, I have money.

In 2008, I was more just thinking about using the touchscreen for writing the songs. From there I started thinking about how I visualised music.

It's funny how the hippies and the punks tried to get rid of the conservatives, but they always seem to get the upper hand in the end.

Maybe I'll be a feminist in my old age.

Nature is our chapel.

Now that rock is turning 50, it's become classical in itself. It's interesting to see that development.

Part of me is probably more conservative than people realise. I like my old string quartets, I don't like music that's trippy for trippy's sake.

People that complete other people's vision are understated.

Seventy per cent humidity is ideal for vocal cords.

The English can be a very critical, unforgiving people, but criticism can be good. And this is a country that loves comedy.