I finished 'Beautiful Creature,' and I felt somewhat unfulfilled. I felt like this other side of me needed to be released. Some of the songs I left off the album weren't intense enough to be what I wanted. They weren't hard enough.

I love 'Crazy Horse,' and Neil Young is one of my favorite guitar players.

You find yourself approaching middle age, playing another scuzzy rock club.

I am not dead inside. I still care about right and wrong.

I've been embarrassing myself publicly for over 20 years. Why should I stop now?

I'm a damaged person, but I have hope and a will to not give up.

Writing helps me process things that are happening to me.

I still have a lot of those depressive thoughts, but now I have the foresight to tell myself, 'Don't think like that,' and things seem better.

I never felt happy with the idea that part of what I do is to be an object to be looked at. I thought of my public persona as an entity separate to myself.

I don't have anything to prove anymore. I don't have a record deal, no one has any expectations, I'm in a position of freedom. I don't need anyone's approval.

I still have all the faith and love for my music and yet I'm still playing places for kids.

You can learn so much just by doing, not by listening to anybody.

When I did have a little bit of commercial success, it really didn't suit my temperament at all. I'm a terrible public person.

To me, success was not having to have a boss and not having a day job. I've been living my own version of success since the early '90s when I first got signed. I haven't had a job since then.

To make big steps, you've got to take action yourself and not listen to other people.

The way I see it, all the popular singers are strippers.

The first kiss between two people is something really good in life.

People need meanings to everything. People want you to intellectualize every choice you make.

People make such a big deal about how people in bands look, especially if you're a girl.

My first guitar was a Gibson Challenger.

It makes me feel good to have some comforting effect on someone that needs comfort.

I'm not a very good advice-giver.

I'm a neo-Luddite.

I'd just like to inspire people to be themselves and do what they want and not conform to the rigid guidelines of the music or entertainment business.