For someone who’s had the level of success I’ve had, there’s been very little critical review of my work, which is pretty fascinating.
If I have resistance to something, it means there’s something wrong. The resistance to me is a sign of fear.
Don’t judge yourself by someone else’s standards. You will always lose.
Indie world won’t have me, and mainstream world treats me like an alien, but here I am still floating between these two worlds.
We need to get back to a level of social responsibility that we haven’t seen for a long time.
I have a musical ancestry as much as I have a family ancestry. Honoring those ancestors gives you access to a greater source of appreciation and information than you would have if you were just going on your own ego system.
Sometimes people just like being around each other, and good things come out of that.
I’m attacking the pomposity that says this is more valuable than that. I’m sick of that.
We had a wonderful time with this kind of grunge awareness, where suddenly rock was cool again. People wanted to head loud guitars. It was a great time, and I’m glad we were there. But the gimmick part has worn off.
I mean my point as an artist is I’m on my own little weird journey across the sky here and whether or not anybody’s listening, or listening to the degree I would like them to, at the end of the day has to be an inconsequential thing because I can’t chase this culture.
Rock and Roll is still asking people like me to live up to the old guard’s concept of what success is but it doesn’t mean anything.
The deeper I get into my life as a musician, I’m discovering that it becomes less and less about other people, and more about what I want to do. And that’s a good place to be.
Jesus teaches us to forgive and I’ve got to trust him on that one.
My version, of course, is not this flag-waving, let’s all get on the Jesus train and ride out of hell. I’m not that kind of guy. It’s an embrace that life is good, worth living and yeah, it’s not easy, but there are more pluses than minuses.
Live simply; make compassionate choices when it comes to food.
I think long and hard about what it is I’m actually trying to do, and then I kind of have to narrow my focus into that. If I don’t, I’m too all over the place.
About six months ago, I listened to Siamese Dream. That was the first time I’d ever really heard my own album, because I had separated from the experience of making the record. And it really moved me. It made me cry, it’s so beautiful.
I started thinking that if post modernism is about people opening up all their skeletons, I’m going the other way. I don’t want anyone knowing anything about me anymore.
The weird nihilism that permeates Mellon Collie is extremely relevant to what’s going on right now. So many kids are intelligent and articulate, but they don’t know what to do with themselves.
A missive to all you metal bands, the world is totally over the rock thing. Rock is deader than it’s ever been.