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One of the other things I think that I've been able to do in my life, is to listen well.

I listen to a lot of singers, because I find phrasing to be one of the most essential elements of playing.

Presented with a song like Exit Music, It's impossible to know what to add without actually making it worse. How can you play along when It's already there?

I get to play with all these different players who don't necessarily approach music always the same way that I might. So I learn a lot.

I try and make all my songs sound different from each other while doing it in a way that's still me. It's a tricky thing to do.

With a good melody... music gets me through everything.

I usually enter the studio with a mix of songs that I've been listening to that are relevant to the sound I want to achieve.

I sort of look at music as helping me get through situations.

While listening, to things like western swing, for instance, I'd work something out in my head, then play it on my National; not the same song, but one that captured the feeling of the original tune.

I write music to both the situations and the lyrics in plays.