If you come to the conclusion that there is no conclusion, well, that's a conclusion, too.
This is one of the reasons I'm so interested in stories. Because everyone has a story in their life, and when their story doesn't make sense, that's when we get depressed, I think.
I feel like the few times in my life when I really felt like I love my own story is when I've been the happiest.
I find it quite hard to connect with the songs where I portray myself as this clumsy, adorable, love-struck man-child.
You always try different versions of yourself through songwriting. It can get a bit annoying to see them walk around and do their thing when you feel like, 'I'm not that person any more.'
For me, it's sort of like a cultural democracy or musical socialism to take a stand and get out of the major cities if you can.
I would love to hear Marilyn Manson's fans or something, what their stories would be like.
I've never felt at home in Kortedala, or in Gothenburg, so I always felt like I needed to go somewhere and find some kind of perspective on things.
Even if I wrote a song about math or animals or whatever, there would still be the question, 'Why did you write about that? And what does it say about you?'
I've established a certain voice over my albums. It can be an obstacle, but in the end, I think it's a strength, because I can build upon that voice, which is ultimately very much mine.
You carry all these hurts and breakups with you forever. But there is this sort of joyful realization that the things that caused you pain were real. There is something beautiful and invigorating in holding onto that.
I became paranoid for a long time: I thought that people were out to harm me.
A lot of my songs are written prophetically: I write something, and then I make it happen.
I have mood swings, but I'm sure people in England have that, too. Me and my friends, we're just a bunch of happy idiots.
I like telling stories with a sense of humor. But humor can also distance you from the subject you're writing about. I'm interested in using humor as a portal to something a bit more serious.
Any band that doesn't have a sense of humor has a little bit of a problem.
I have this part in myself that sometimes gets me into situations that can never end well, just because I want to prove to myself that I'm no good.
The way to write really good songs is to write about the things that happen in your life and where you are in the moment, and writing about stuff that happens in your 30s is not the sexiest song subject.
It was never part of how I imagined my music, and I watched in awe at how this ukulele troubadour image suddenly devoured the Jens Lekman I had planned so carefully.
I think sometimes when I sit down to write a song, it doesn't come out naturally, but when you are writing an email to someone, especially if you are writing to a stranger, you write much more spontaneously, and it's freer.
