Quotes from Kurt Vile

If somebody else wanted to do a song for McDonald's, that's up to them. I wouldn't do something like that, but whatever.

Love is intense, and sadness is intense.

That Yo La Tengo record, 'Painful,' has got some real awesome, noisy, mellow heartbreakers.

I've gotten a lot more paranoid in my older age.

Humor is important. Nothing against bands that are always a downer, but the reality is - it just becomes theater.

Around '93, the radio started playing 'Loser' by Beck and 'Cut Your Hair' by Pavement, and then I got way into Pavement. That was kind of a gateway drug into indie rock. I got all their B-sides, and I got that 'Hey Drag City' comp, so I got into all those Drag City bands.

I had a wacky job driving a forklift for an air freight company. That was the worst.

If I had known I'd be on Matador back then in my childhood, it would have blown my mind.

A lot of getting a song done is booking the studio time.

That's one of my favorite Matador records: Cat Power, 'You Are Free.'

I really like Cold Cave.

After I play a gig, I'm like a different person: I have superhuman strength.

When I leave a recording session, there is usually a lot of paranoia or superstition on my part, like I'm afraid to hear what we've done.

I use a lot of humor in my writing. But it's completely black humor.

All of my surroundings influence my songwriting. It's autobiographical, although I leave enough space so it's relatable.

There's too many favorite songs, so I'll just say right now my favorite song of all time is 'Poison' by Bert Jansch.

I get to come home to my family. It's awesome, just constant adventure, never a dull moment. So much life.

Critics always get the lyrics wrong in reviews, which is amusing - especially when they use them against you.

'Street Legal' is like a cult classic. It's pretty cheesy at times, but you learn to embrace it.

No offense to Boston, but I was glad to get out of there. I think it's just because I'm from Philly. Honestly, the blue collar side of each are pretty similar in ways, but something about the makeup of your brain, Philly versus Boston. It's a lot different, in weird ways.

I like a well-rounded life. All of this work is kind of useless if you don't have something good to come home to.

Life is so beautiful, but there are all these scary things you can't deny.

I got depressed so many times by my blue-collar life and self-conscious about the fact that I didn't go to college. I was always working super low-end jobs, being the complete opposite of what I wanted to be.

I'm the kind of performer who gets lost on stage. I can tap into this soulful haze.