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Sometimes I'll write without the guitar or the piano, but most of the time I'll be playing and just improvising some words. And when I get something that sounds good, a line with a story in it, I'll try and tease it out and figure out where the story is going.

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

I rely heavily on rhythm when I write. You should tap your foot when you read it, all the way through.

I do tend to take lines from other lines I like, and then write around them.

I write the music because I can't really write lyrics. But I can write chords like Robin's never heard of. So I provide the music for them to add the lyrics to.

I don't write poetry and then strum some chords and then fit the words on top of the chords.

I just freestyle. I don't actually write the words on paper. It's just whatever comes into my mind. I'll record three or four lines at a time, get a good take, and do three or four more. It may be whatever comes into my mind. But I care about my craft a lot more than a lot of other people.

There is no formula to it. Writing every song is a little journey. The first note has to lift you.