Quotes from Devin Townsend

I think, at the end of the day, that was really what the reward for production is for me, is being allowed to be a part of somebody else's musical vision for a while. Like Gwar. I got to do a Gwar record, right? That was great.

The records I make, I'm there from the writing of the first note through the click tracks to the miking of the drums to the editing of everything to the production to the vocals to the artwork.

I've always loved the sound of female vocals.

I guess I'm not really into female vocals that sound masculine, I guess. A lot of times, the heavy female vocalists always end up sounding like they're screaming or whatever.

As a vocalist, I can scream, and I've got a really good singing voice, but I can't do the really heavy vocals.

I think I've been playing bass for as long as I've played guitar, and I love them both.

I know that I'm often perceived as this odd guy who's a bit out there, and I've probably, once in a while, reinforced that image, but I'm really not that person, and, in a way, I want even less so to be seen like that.

I think live stuff is certainly stuff I enjoy doing. I do like performing for people and bringing it to people.

As someone whose music is connected to his personal growth, I feel an obligation to follow this muse wherever it leads.

The album 'Physicist,' I erased all the work that I had done halfway through. I think that's probably why that contributed to that album being sort of sub-par for me, just because by the time I had to go back and do it, I was just over it.

If there's anybody who's new to what I do, who maybe heard 'Liberation' or some of the songs off 'Epicloud' and thought, 'This is really cool, I could get into this,' you're going to hate 'Casualties.'

I think that when I got to a certain age, it was important to me to sort of analyze my relationship with myself and my past.

For me, music is about expressing the inexpressible, and as I get older, man, what I feel the need to express becomes less and less poignant to others.

I come from a blue collar background.

I don't think anything that I have done has been forced by commerce exclusively.

I like Canada for a number of reasons, politics and people and all that stuff aside. I was raised there, and I write music best when I'm in situations that I'm surrounded by nature, and when there's seasons.

'Deconstruction' is a really heavy record, a real symphony in a lot of ways, but with heavy musicians from the metal world - friends of mine.

The bottom line is music, for me, is an exhaust port for life, and if I have a chaotic year, then I'm gonna write a chaotic record, and that's what happened with 'Ziltoid,' with 'Z2.'

For me, the opportunity to express myself in this way is something I don't take for granted.

I just go where it feels the most honest to go; then I deal with people thinking it's weird afterwards.

In Strapping, I had experimented with a creative catharsis under the assumption that art doesn't need to be accountable for itself, but I found out in very practical ways that you are accountable for everything you say. Everything you write, everything you do becomes not only your identity but your world resonates with it.

The best way of me not doing things is to demand it from me.

Luckily, my creative juices are pretty much on tap. If I'm compelled to do something, I can go for it and get it done.

I have, like, three or four friends and am a very private person.