I've always felt that dark lyrics with dark music is pretty useless. Maybe that's a strong statement - not useless, but for… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
I've done my share of busking, and it's fun until it isn't. There are musicians in the subways that will make you… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
What you see with your eyes when you're making music is going to have a profound effect on what you hear. — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
The instrumental record is a bit subtler. It's the kind of stuff on sound check, when I first pick up my violin… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
There's songs that could either be taken as a conversation between two people, like "The Privateers," or "Why," from a much earlier… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
The idea of writing songs because you're depressed and you need to communicate it somehow, that isn't really true for me. — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
I spend a lot of time working by myself developing songs, but I really need some other counterpart to help me pull… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
I've always had levity in my songs, so I like to turn things over, twist them around, and make fun of myself. — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
The fact that I wasn't expected to read music at all and was absorbing everything by ear... it had a huge affect… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
Usually bands with violins - it's this little, poorly amplified looking kind of futile on stage, and that's not the way that… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
There is something comforting about going into a practice room, putting your sheet music on a stand and playing Bach over and… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
Pretty much any given day, barring some major distraction, I get melodies coming to me. Lyrics don't come quite as easily. So… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
People who are thinking about your music almost as much as you are, that almost never happens. — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
No, it's not dissatisfaction that inspires me to tinker with my songs, it's just restlessness. — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
Every time I get up in the morning, melodies occur to me and I start trying to shape lyrics to melodies. — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
Some of your best songs come from a desperate attempt to escape, so sitting in an airport for hours I can just… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
The music that I write is often not necessarily full of doom and gloom. You'll notice in most of the darkest songs,… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
All the folks I play with come from jazz backgrounds or at least appreciate spontaneity within the parameters of a pop song. — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
There's always that struggle between me wanting to keep [song] new and fresh and then be - I can never get with… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
The melodies come out so strong that I'm like, "Oh, crap." It's really better if they could both be kind of able… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
My mom had this romantic notion of her children playing classical music. The idea is you learn it when you're still learning… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
I've never approached classical music in a formal way, ever. I couldn't read very well. I'd have to play every piece and… — Andrew Bird Copy Share 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… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
I don't write poetry and then strum some chords and then fit the words on top of the chords. — Andrew Bird Copy Share 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… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
I think when I was pretty young I got really into the tone of my instrument and I remember just playing one note for… — Andrew Bird Copy Share 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 Copy Share Image
I'm just trying to get my body in shape so that I can handle it. It's a very physically demanding thing. I've been doing… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
Since I first picked up the violin, I've been very interested in tone and texture: I would have very visceral reactions to the texture… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
The problem is, when you're working with orchestras, you only get the orchestra for about two hours before the performance to pull it all… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
I have the barn, it's just kind of like a studio. Almost all artists have la studio to work in, and that's really what… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image
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… — Andrew Bird Copy Share Image