Quotes from Hope Sandoval

Usually what I do is I write my vocal melody over guitar parts and then I come up with lyrics.

I don't even like to sing in front of my own band members so it's easier for me if they send me the music and I record my vocals in my own studio.

I like Beach House a lot.

The biggest problem for people who get really, really nervous when they perform live is that you think everybody's looking at you.

It's a really strange thing to be doing, to go on stage and all of a sudden have bright lights and spotlights.

It's just like anybody else - some people, most people don't wanna go to school. They just don't want to. It's... not fun. I was just somebody who got away with it.

I suppose we do live a pretty isolated life.

It's not so much that I don't enjoy playing live - that's one of the best parts of playing music - it's that it's nerve-racking with 300, 500 people watching.

Generally we just play music when we feel like it.

There's a lot of pressure to chitchat with the audience. But when they're in school, people don't want to get up in front of their classroom when they have to talk about themselves or a project.

My family is still in Los Angeles. We listened to all sorts of music: Mexican music, oldies, soul, disco and rock & roll. I was surrounded by music.

We're really lucky because we have a portable studio, which enables us to work wherever we like. There is some extra work involved in setting everything up, but you can find a lot of magic and inspiration in being free to go somewhere completely different.

Exene taught me how to bend my notes when I sing. That's her style. And I learned that from her.

I had to beg to get out of my contract with Capitol. They wanted me to work with big producers. I wanted to produce my music, and they weren't having that. I'm sure they were happy to let me go. I just didn't want to do what they wanted me to do.

I used to just lose my temper and tell the audience to shut up.

Festivals are quite difficult to me.

Performing live is difficult. But nobody's forcing us to do it.

The most amazing live shows that I've ever seen were Rain Parade shows.

We've always had big gaps between records.

We're always recording music, writing songs.

The best live shows I've ever been to were Green on Red live shows. Amazing live band.

Personally, I have a hard time playing live. A big part of it is because the lyrics are really private.

I was born there and I grew up in East L.A., not Hollywood.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were really great. I saw them live in the '90s; they were really, really good. The music is great, and the musicians are amazing.