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I work hard at that, but the fact that there are a lot of good songs means there are also a lot of really bad songs I've written that you never hear.

So many good songs get written fast, because you know exactly what has to work.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I've written some really bad songs and I've had some bad performances.

I don't think there is anything hard at all about having a lot of songs. It makes it easier to be less precious about them, and know that everybody's going to want to work on some of them.

I find the greatest songs in the world come out of pain, and I don't like it! Here's what it does: It strips away all of your facade. It makes you so honest. It's cleansing.

It's really important to me that the songs not only stand out individually but work as a full body of work, too.

It's really about making the best music you can make. It's really about working hard.

I've had the healthy and sobering experience of constantly working with music that is invariably better than any performance of it can be.

Everything I do, whether it's producing or signing an artist, always starts with the songs. When I'm listening, I'm looking for a balance that you could see in anything. Whether it's a great painting or a building or a sunset.

I think with any songwriter the first 1,000 songs are always terrible.