Erin McKeown Quotes

My approach to writing and recording now is pretty much the same as when I started. Except now I worry even less about what people will think of what I made. And I am not drunk.

Mostly, the people in "the room" are paid lobbyists representing interests that could afford to pay them. No wonder policy isn't being made that helps smaller, independent musicians or those unaffiliated with a larger entity.

Really, everything for me comes from "Manifestra." It was an incredible gift of a song; it really describes an important moment in my life.

As a listener, I like a wide range of sounds.

So many policy decisions that effect musicians are being made without any input from musicians at all.

As a consumer of culture, I like a wide range of emotions to be touched in art. It's funny but on the other side of it, I do feel that people that are trying to sell culture would like to see a narrower range of expression from their content-makers. Easier to sell I guess.

I didn't realize at the time that if I wrote about something, I was going to have to talk about something. A lot. Ad nauseum.

I wanted to touch on the piece where often politicians use "god" to excuse their actions.

I always write from rhythm first, so if I need a song fast, I have to start there. Then I just threw some electric guitar at it.

The only really weird part for me was making sense of the person on the TV at the same time as the person who I am friendly with and do something so friend-intimate with as text.

As I've gotten older, I have gotten a lot better at finding the pleasures of making music despite the business of it.

It's funny because my main awkwardness around writing the song had little to do with the method.

I think I have come across as "unafraid" because I really cannot control what comes through me in my writing.

I am really pleased to hear each of my songs described as a total surprise. This is what I want!