The goal is ecstasy, but I don't want to make some sort of saccharine pop music. I want to make something that's completely uncompromising: the best possible music ever made.

Swans are majestic, beautiful looking creatures. With really ugly temperaments.

The sexuality of children - there's a lot friction there. That tension interests me a lot.

You make your work and you can't ask for approval when you're doing it. Otherwise, it's going to be untruthful in some way.

The music takes you. It has to be alive. It's like you hammer something, and the way it happens to bleed leads you into new directions.

I don't want to sound like everybody else.

I like loud electric guitars because I like how you can just lose your entire being in the sound.

I'm the band leader. That's not to say that the other people are my minions - they all put in a tremendous amount of personality, and push the music in ways I would never expect.

I used to routinely break my ribs doing stupid things onstage, but I have a healthy fear of breaking my bones now.

I'm pretty confident that people are going to come along for the ride. If they don't, tough.

Making those CDs, signing them, numbering them, packing them. It takes hundreds of hours, but it's worth it because I'm able to do the thing I love.

It is only where the light and shadow meet, we can see the beauty of both the light and the shadow!

Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may not remember. Involve me and I'll understand.

Business can be a source of progressive change.

Basically, I would be happy with any profession where I got to be creative and make things.

When it's a minor or supporting role, you learn to make the most of what you're given. I can make two lines seem like Hamlet.

I've always seen myself as the person listening to alternative music and all that - generic indie person. I always tried to be the least pretty I could be.

I'm part of the Ipod generation. I got 10,000 tracks from all over the world.

I always knew I wanted to be a musician.

Success is getting up one more time than you fall down.