Quotes from Gary Clark, Jr.

Music is soaking up things that I see in other people or things that go on in my life, and I put it out there in the form of a song.

My mom always told me I should have a Plan B. I said that if I'm not going to play guitar I'm going to play drums. And if I'm not going to play drums, I'm going to play bass. I always just wanted to play music. I was completely obsessed.

There's nothing like a music festival. People are ready to have a good time. I don't think anyone comes to a festival going, 'I'm gonna be a complete bummer today.

When I was growing up, I would go hang out with older guys at night in blues clubs.

All I can do is do what I can do, and do what I know how to do. I do what I love to do, and that's pretty much it.

The blues is the foundation for a lot of things. Things have branched off. It's cool how music grows, but the foundation is always there. It's not going anywhere. The blues is always going to be relevant.

The guys in my band buy instruments and sell and trade them. But if I have something I hang onto it. Everything is sentimental to me.

I am the type of artist where you can't tell me anything. I have always been that way. I am right. I don't need any input.

I know that I'm capable of moving around on the guitar. I can express myself the way I want to and feel good about it. But as far as technical chops, I'm not a learned musician.

I've been called 'musically schizophrenic,' and some people think that's a cool thing.

I'm somewhat of a hoarder. I keep everything.

I failed public speaking in grade school, 'cause I was so nervous and scared.

You know, I've never done karaoke, ever. It makes me nervous - I think it's the lack of the guitar and just a microphone.

I'm obsessed with fuzz pedals.

For a black male, the sound of the blues is pre-Civil Rights. It's oppression.

When I got my first guitar, I played along with everything I heard that had guitar in it, like the Ramones, Nirvana and Sublime, as well as whatever hip-hop and R&B stuff was on the radio.

Most of my songs start out as being very aggressive and guitar-driven.

There's so much music in Austin, and it's all so different.