I wanted to try to make songs that worked as songs, not just as productions. People wanted me to do a solo acoustic session, they were like Can you play song on the piano? and I was like Not really. It doesn't really work. I wanted to write songs that would work in a variation of instrumentation.

As a songwriter, I was really into pulling away from the melodrama and the overdramatic type of writing that I was previously always doing. I think over time my songs have become more and more restrained.

Usually the song is totally done. I'll do absolutely everything, backing vocals - everything - but in gibberish. A lot of times its based on the mumblings that I sing. Even though I sing in gibberish, it kind of makes sense.

I think Nine Inch Nails was a really big one for me, when I was 18. They really inspired me to start making my own music.

I love playing the new songs live. I hate playing a new song and then having to play an old song again, it feels really boring.

When I was growing up, until I was 18 or 19, I was totally invested in the classical music world. I had no concept of anything else. The closest thing to a cool band I listened to was Radiohead. Radiohead were the only band I liked in high school. I was just obsessed with classical music, opera, Claude Debussy, and that kind of stuff.