” I’ve always tried to get around writing love songs, I guess because I’ve always had a hard time saying, ‘I love you. “
” That is the true joy of being a solo artist. I can do whatever I want. I can go wherever I want. I can show up with my guitar and my song, and it can sound a hundred different ways. That’s the freedom of being on your own. The flipside is: That’s you on the cover. If it sucks, it’s your fault. “
” In your mid-30s, you have to take inventory, or you’ll stumble. “
” My mother had a great vinyl collection, and she was constantly playing female singer-songwriters. I first learned about classic song structures by listening to them, and Laura Nyro particularly stood out. Her voice was outside what you’d usually hear on the radio, that really appealed to me. “
” When you’re talking about your own music every day, listening to bands, going to festivals, you can kind of lose sight of your initial connection with music. Instrumental music – especially jazz – helps me refocus. “
” I think a lot of musicians play for the playback. I mean, that’s the joy of recording – you want to hear what you’ve done and what you’ve contributed – but never listening to that playback kind of removes the intellectual part of making music, and it removes the tendency to be revisionist. “
” When something is coming off of a Neve board and being laid down on tape, it’s like a warm blanket for the brain. When you’re working in a digital form, it’s so harsh, it’s almost painful. Your ears get more fatigued if you’re mixing all day. “
” When you’re in your mid-thirties, the cult of people who have children around you all want you in their cult, and they constantly ask you, ‘So when are you going to have a baby? “
” When I sit down to write a song, there is no filter. I’m not trying to write for anyone or anything specifically. It’s just trying to capture a little piece of your soul – even if it’s a really ugly part. “
” I think I have a hard time expressing myself in my relationships. I use songs to tell people how I’m feeling. If I can’t say ‘I love you,’ I’ll write a song about it and hope that the person figures it out. “
” I felt like onstage I have to have a certain amount of anonymity, like, personal anonymity, to feel loose and free. When you’re up there with people who’ve known you for a decade, and you make a bad joke and you hear the cackling behind the drums, it’s hard to get lost in the moment. “
” When you make a solo record, it’s you. It’s your name. It has to be the right songs for how you feel. “
All 12 Jenny Lewis Quotes about You in picture
Topics: You quotes