Quote

There's always a tension between wanting to write a really concise, instant gratification type song that gets under your skin the first time you hear it, and wanting to really stretch out. I think it's a healthy tension.

Andrew Bird

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Andrew Bird
Age: 51
Born: 1973
Born: July 11
Fiddler
Film Editor
Guitarist
Jazz Musician
Musician
Singer
Singer-Songwriter
Chicago
Illinois
Andrew Wegman Bird
Andrew W. Bird
Firsts
Skin
First
Skins
Writing
Healthy
Concise
Really
Type
Gratification
Always
Gets
Stretch
Time
Hear
Tension
Think
Song
Wanting
Thinking
Write
Instant

More quotes by Andrew Bird

Image
I'm a terrible Scrabble player.
Andrew Bird
Image
A good espresso to me is a little bit salty you just become used to a good taste. Anytime I go into a new place and they don't clean their machine properly or the water temperature isn't right, it tastes awful.
Andrew Bird
Image
If you take a little time, let's say three weeks off, after recording a song, and you listen to it every other day, you're just going to know eventually.
Andrew Bird
Image
Sometimes I think I don't have much choice in the matter. It's just what happens, and I'm following my instincts the whole time.
Andrew Bird
Image
The way I work, I'm not a confessional singer-songwriter.
Andrew Bird
Image
The music that I write is often not necessarily full of doom and gloom. You'll notice in most of the darkest songs, the music is actually pretty peaceful and lulling.
Andrew Bird
Image
Some of your best songs come from a desperate attempt to escape, so sitting in an airport for hours I can just start pulling out little fragments of songs from my head. A lot of times a melody will just occur to me and be my companion for a couple of months.
Andrew Bird
Image
When I'm onstage, I'm completely comfortable, and I feel very vital and alive.
Andrew Bird
Image
I am, in some sense, a writer. Even though I kinda downplay the word thing, I do enjoy writing sometimes.
Andrew Bird
Image
Every time I get up in the morning, melodies occur to me and I start trying to shape lyrics to melodies.
Andrew Bird
Image
The first notes I still play when I start a sound check are classical. Those are my roots.
Andrew Bird
Image
The anti-aging advert that I would like to see is a baby covered in cream saying, 'Aah, I've used too much'
Andrew Bird
Image
There's a lot of interesting words, nomenclatures, in science.
Andrew Bird
Image
I have some irrepressible pop impulses to write an appealing, concise song. And I also have some irrepressible kind of restlessness as well, and I need to keep myself interested. When I'm left to my own devices, there's a struggle.
Andrew Bird
Image
I've always felt that dark lyrics with dark music is pretty useless. Maybe that's a strong statement - not useless, but for me, it's just boring.
Andrew Bird
Image
Guitars are kind of just, you know, sexy, especially old vintage ones.
Andrew Bird
Image
I definitely have to give myself permission, like on Master Swarm, to rip a lead on that. Just play a violin solo that's - it's a bit showoff-y, but it's fun, so who cares?
Andrew Bird
Image
There's kind of this unequaled thrill of playing a half-finished song, it's kind of sense of slight embarrassment like you're blushing. I like doing that. I did that with Eyeoneye and it was almost a curse on the song for a while I debuted it when it was half-finished in a very public way
Andrew Bird
Image
I really like the sound of analog things where clearly there's something being touched. You can sense that something is handmade. So much with digital, there's a disconnect.
Andrew Bird
Image
I'm coming from a place that's more experimental and indulgent already, so for the last 10 years, it's been more like, How can I defend my own sensibilities by writing a nugget of a little catchy pop song? That's how I'm stretching myself, by writing something really simple.
Andrew Bird