--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we've always been a bit…" description: "\"I think we've always been a bit delusional and at the start we really did feel we were a cool, British-style band, but it was apparently not connecting..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/russell-mael-5251_band_i-think-we-ve-always-been-a-bit-delusion_2857229.jpg" --- # I think we've always been a bit delusional and at the… ![“I think we've always been a bit delusional and at the start we really did feel we were a cool, British-style band, but it was apparently not connecting in that way, and was always seen as something more esoteric and odd. But then in failing to emulate British bands, a style emerged that became…” quote by Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/russell-mael-5251_band_i-think-we-ve-always-been-a-bit-delusion_2857229.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/russell-mael-5251_band_i-think-we-ve-always-been-a-bit-delusion_2857229.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/russell-mael-5251_band_i-think-we-ve-always-been-a-bit-delusion_2857229.jpg) > “I think we've always been a bit delusional and at the start we really did feel we were a cool, British-style band, but it was apparently not connecting in that way, and was always seen as something more esoteric and odd. But then in failing to emulate British bands, a style emerged that became what we are.” [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our initial delusions about being a cool British band led to a unique style when we failed to emulate them, creating our true identity. **In simple terms:** Failure to copy others birthed our authentic style. Key Takeaway Embrace failure as a path to originality. Themes music identity authenticity Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - band formation - genre blending - artistic evolution Key Concepts creative failure self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What unexpected outcomes have shaped you? - How do you define authenticity? A Different Perspective May romanticize failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Band Apparently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band-apparently-3835968/) [Bands Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bands-style-3835966/) [Bit Delusional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bit-delusional-303879/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Bands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-bands-2340107/) [Cool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cool/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Style Emerged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style-emerged-3835967/) ## Related quotes > [That's one of the good things about a lot of the young British bands, they are mixing all styles of music. I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/that-s-one-of-the-good-things-about-a-lot-of-the-young-british-bands/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [I love British bands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-momsen/i-love-british-bands/) [Taylor Momsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-momsen/) > [I'm a bit delusional, but every time I do a job, I think I'm retired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/i-m-a-bit-delusional-but-every-time-i-do-a-job-i-think-i-m-retired/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [We actually were passionate about the British bands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-mael/we-actually-were-passionate-about-the-british-bands/) [Ron Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-mael/) > [I really do think (and likely I'm a bit delusional) that if I still had time, with the drive and love for the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-ablack/i-really-do-think-and-likely-i-m-a-bit-delusional-that-if-i-still-had/) [Raymond Ablack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-ablack/) > [I've always had a bit of delusional confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/i-ve-always-had-a-bit-of-delusional-confidence/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [My characters are always people who are a bit delusional about how great they are. Like they're losing their minds, but they're smiling about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-stalter/my-characters-are-always-people-who-are-a-bit-delusional-about-how/) [Megan Stalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-stalter/) > [It is a cliché about British bands going to America and being broken by the experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miki-berenyi/it-is-a-clich-about-british-bands-going-to-america-and-being-broken/) [Miki Berenyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miki-berenyi/) > [To sustain a career in show business, you have to have a certain amount of delusion, because it's such an insane way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/to-sustain-a-career-in-show-business-you-have-to-have-a-certain/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [“An essential difference between British and American punk bands can be found in their respective views of rock & roll history. The British bands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-heylin/an-essential-difference-between-british-and-american-punk-bands-can/) [Clinton Heylin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-heylin/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) ## More by Russell Mael > [There are all these safety nets in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-are-all-these-safety-nets-in-pop-music/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Occasionally and all-too-infrequently a song comes along that jolts you and you prick up your ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/occasionally-and-all-too-infrequently-a-song-comes-along-that-jolts/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [The unfortunate thing with COVID is that Ron's been working separately from me, but it hasn't stopped the flow of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/the-unfortunate-thing-with-covid-is-that-ron-s-been-working/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [I sing and Ron doesn't want to be the singer of the band, he's the keyboard player and predominant writer of the band. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/i-sing-and-ron-doesn-t-want-to-be-the-singer-of-the-band-he-s-the/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [We loved the Beach Boys, bands like that, but our originality came out of our lack of ability as copiers. They did mostly complicated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/we-loved-the-beach-boys-bands-like-that-but-our-originality-came-out/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [A lot of people build up a backlog of songs and you can kind of go, 'Let's explore that song we did six years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/a-lot-of-people-build-up-a-backlog-of-songs-and-you-can-kind-of-go/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [I like when somebody is able to create their own universe, have a consistency to it and not break from character - that's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/i-like-when-somebody-is-able-to-create-their-own-universe-have-a/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [There are still some people - it's hard to believe - that aren't aware yet of Sparks. So we still kind of go at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-are-still-some-people-it-s-hard-to-believe-that-aren-t-aware/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [There was nothing radically different about what we were doing musically or image-wise, and yet in L.A. there'd been total indifference, so to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-was-nothing-radically-different-about-what-we-were-doing/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Having an image was really important to us and that was kind of contrary to the bands in L.A. that we had grown up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/having-an-image-was-really-important-to-us-and-that-was-kind-of/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [As long as it elicits some kind of thought on the listener's part, that's good. If no one's paying attention to the lyrics it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/as-long-as-it-elicits-some-kind-of-thought-on-the-listener-s-part/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Bands can get lazy after 20 albums. But that's not us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/bands-can-get-lazy-after-20-albums-but-that-s-not-us/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [We'd been approached various times during our career about a documentary, but we always hesitated to say yes, because what we do musically speaks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/we-d-been-approached-various-times-during-our-career-about-a/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [A lot of times people ask about Sparks songs: are they autobiographical in a way? And we don't think so much that they are;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/a-lot-of-times-people-ask-about-sparks-songs-are-they/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Yeah, we've been offered lots of advice over the years about not moving on from something that is successful, but it's just in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/yeah-we-ve-been-offered-lots-of-advice-over-the-years-about-not/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) [Explore all 102 Russell Mael quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) [Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think we've always been a bit delusional and at the start we really did feel we were a cool, British-style band, but it was apparently not connecting in that way, and was always seen as something more esoteric and odd. 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