--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Shins is, in a way, a recording…" description: "\"The Shins is, in a way, a recording project that turned into a live band. So I don't really keep myself beholden to any rules when I'm in the studio fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/james-mercer-10889_any_the-shins-is-in-a-way-a-recording-projec_995058.png" --- # The Shins is, in a way, a recording project that turned… ![“The Shins is, in a way, a recording project that turned into a live band. So I don't really keep myself beholden to any rules when I'm in the studio for Shins. I just gotta get it done as best I can.” quote by James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/james-mercer-10889_any_the-shins-is-in-a-way-a-recording-projec_995058.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/james-mercer-10889_any_the-shins-is-in-a-way-a-recording-projec_995058.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/james-mercer-10889_any_the-shins-is-in-a-way-a-recording-projec_995058.png) > “The Shins is, in a way, a recording project that turned into a live band. So I don't really keep myself beholden to any rules when I'm in the studio for Shins. I just gotta get it done as best I can.” [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A recording project can evolve into a live act, and flexibility in the studio fosters authentic results. **In simple terms:** Stay flexible, finish strong. Key Takeaway Embrace adaptability and complete the work. Themes music flexibility authenticity Mood determined optimistic Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - studio sessions - live performances - songwriting Key Concepts creative process collaboration Questions to Reflect On - Do you set any personal boundaries? - How does flexibility affect your sound? A Different Perspective Rigid rules can limit artistic expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beholden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beholden/) [Recording](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recording/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) ## Related quotes > [My attempt at really doing classic sort of songwriting is Shins stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/my-attempt-at-really-doing-classic-sort-of-songwriting-is-shins-stuff/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [I remember being in high school, and you had to draw those lines and define yourself. I don't think when I was in high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-remember-being-in-high-school-and-you-had-to-draw-those-lines-and/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [I've always sort of felt like what the Shins is, I guess, is a vehicle for my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-ve-always-sort-of-felt-like-what-the-shins-is-i-guess-is-a-vehicle/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [There is pressure that comes with everything being a big deal. I remember thinking, 'I need to survive the Shins. I don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/there-is-pressure-that-comes-with-everything-being-a-big-deal-i/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [You can say what you like about long dresses, but they cover a multitude of shins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/you-can-say-what-you-like-about-long-dresses-but-they-cover-a/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [“I sit with my knees pulled in tight and my arms wrapped around my shins. I can no longer feel my feet, as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-ryan/i-sit-with-my-knees-pulled-in-tight-and-my-arms-wrapped-around-my/) [Carrie Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-ryan/) > [“But would I have chosen to be Paul? I'd miss Will too much, the feel of his shins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-simpson/but-would-i-have-chosen-to-be-paul-i-d-miss-will-too-much-the-feel-of/) [Mona Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-simpson/) > [Say what you want about long dresses, but they cover a multitude of shins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/say-what-you-want-about-long-dresses-but-they-cover-a-multitude-of/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) > [“I go where I want to go, I do what I want to do, and I am beholden to no one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-m-derobertis/i-go-where-i-want-to-go-i-do-what-i-want-to-do-and-i-am-beholden-to/) Mark M. DeRobertis > [“You are a woman; this is your body. You are beholden to no one, Ke-Han or Volstovic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-bennett/you-are-a-woman-this-is-your-body-you-are-beholden-to-no-one-ke-han/) [Danielle Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-bennett/) > [God is not beholden to us at all. He doesn't owe us anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/god-is-not-beholden-to-us-at-all-he-doesn-t-owe-us-anything/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“If beauty is in the eye of the beholder than consider yourself beholden.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truth-devour/if-beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder-than-consider-yourself/) Truth Devour > [I owe nobody anything. I'm beholden to nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hardy/i-owe-nobody-anything-i-m-beholden-to-nobody/) [Dan Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hardy/) > [I've never believed that 'Idol' as a franchise is beholden to any individual because everybody said it would die the minute Simon Cowell left,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-lythgoe/i-ve-never-believed-that-idol-as-a-franchise-is-beholden-to-any/) [Nigel Lythgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-lythgoe/) > [“Be beholden to no one, he had said. Make sure you owe nobody any favors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/be-beholden-to-no-one-he-had-said-make-sure-you-owe-nobody-any-favors/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) ## More by James Mercer > [I do like talking with friends about big concepts, you know, the stuff that will ruin a party. To me, the party hasn't begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-do-like-talking-with-friends-about-big-concepts-you-know-the-stuff/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [Horrible dates are when you're with people who are immature and can't really be comfortable in their own skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/horrible-dates-are-when-you-re-with-people-who-are-immature-and-can-t/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [I'm real happy. I've been lucky in love, and I've got a wonderful kid now, and things have been going well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-m-real-happy-i-ve-been-lucky-in-love-and-i-ve-got-a-wonderful-kid/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [The fact that I'm often pushing my voice as hard as I can is from playing in nightclubs in Albuquerque where you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/the-fact-that-i-m-often-pushing-my-voice-as-hard-as-i-can-is-from/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [ I really \[enjoy\] working with new people and just sort of the freshness of it. ... I \[want\] to have those new conversations, musically… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-really-enjoy-working-with-new-people-and-just-sort-of-the-freshness/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [Meeting Perry Farrel was kind of cool. He's such an icon, and I was such a fan of Jane's Addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/meeting-perry-farrel-was-kind-of-cool-he-s-such-an-icon-and-i-was/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [My dad and I get into it all the time. He loves to discuss politics much more than I do and we have pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/my-dad-and-i-get-into-it-all-the-time-he-loves-to-discuss-politics/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [For the longest time, I didn't even want to admit I was serious about music. Before the Shins, I would tell myself, 'Oh, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/for-the-longest-time-i-didn-t-even-want-to-admit-i-was-serious-about/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [Humans are social creatures that really crave intimacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/humans-are-social-creatures-that-really-crave-intimacy/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [I tend to write a pretty half and half split of, like, slow, morose things and then sort of more upbeat stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-tend-to-write-a-pretty-half-and-half-split-of-like-slow-morose/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [If you're 14 and you're skinny, you can't be on the football team, basically. It's just not even really possible. But skating is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/if-you-re-14-and-you-re-skinny-you-can-t-be-on-the-football-team/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [I think that what's funny is that I seem to be taking up the roles that I remember my dad having - for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-think-that-what-s-funny-is-that-i-seem-to-be-taking-up-the-roles/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [One thing that I've struggled with has been a certain amount of animosity toward the whole human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/one-thing-that-i-ve-struggled-with-has-been-a-certain-amount-of/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [For some reason, it seems like pop writers, it's like they just get worse or something over time. And then you're really jealous of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/for-some-reason-it-seems-like-pop-writers-it-s-like-they-just-get/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [I think that was going on with bands like The Strokes was that the idea of the band, a real band, was making a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-think-that-was-going-on-with-bands-like-the-strokes-was-that-the/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) [Explore all 63 James Mercer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) ## More Any quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [We earned any fans with the way we play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/we-earned-any-fans-with-the-way-we-play/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [Hard work and a good education will take you further than any government program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-schock/hard-work-and-a-good-education-will-take-you-further-than-any/) [Aaron Schock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-schock/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/) [Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. 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