Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I'm really nervous about coming off as exclusive or elitist. At the same time, I recognize that when I put out vinyl or an expensive coffee table book not everyone can afford it or listen to it.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I am drawn to cold, desolate places rather than Hawaii. I actually love Hawaii too, but I tend to go to Iceland or Norway or Northern Japan - northern places for whatever reason. Which aren't necessarily the best places to tour.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

It's a beautiful idea to focus on how everything is temporary and always in flux. It may feel bad now, but it will feel good later, and vice versa. To write about those things brings this satisfying feeling as a creative person.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I am so thirsty to do my projects whenever I have a spare moment.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I don't really see myself in a lineage which is fine with me. Sometimes I do try to explicitly copy an exact song, an arrangement, a sound - and I fail. And so you can't even tell I was trying to do that thing. It makes sense in my own head but I'm incapable of copying.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I have a hard time working with other people with my own songs because I have a pretty complete idea of how it should be. It's usually just me multi-tracking which is better than coercing someone into doing my idea.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I wanted to make a record that would transcend the bad, hard feelings of a love relationship not working out, to make something that metabolized it into something useful and good.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

My grandpa is the funniest person in the world, straight up. But mostly everyone in my family groans when he is 'on.' I am his biggest fan.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I've sort of accidentally put myself in this position where I opened up the story of my life, and of course people want to reciprocate and open up to me. I'm OK at it, I don't make people feel worse, but it's strange to find myself in this role, all of a sudden, that I never would have pursued.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I want to create a life that is just healthy and peaceful - an enclave, really, of retreat. It's not helpful for the big picture. It's totally selfish to run away like that.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

Profound thoughts and profound experiences get revealed to be tricks that we play on ourselves, and poetry gets revealed to be just, like, some dumb words that somebody put in an interesting order.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

The universe is chaotic and meaningless, and it's good to laugh about it. That's my stance on life, actually. Some people go through life grinding their teeth, suffering and banging their head against the wall. I'm glad that's not the reaction that occurs in me.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I start with the aim of making something instrumental, and then I'm just like, 'Agh, no, it's not interesting enough. I've got to say something here.'

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

Being a musician means I am 'hanging out' a lot, like driving on tour or being at a show or whatever, so maybe there's more time to interact with peers and develop jokes.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I want to not be associated with death or cancer, I don't want that life.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I like a bass drum. A big one.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

It would be amazing to write a song that could be sung 100 years from now by a teenage girl and still be relevant to her - that's a dream of songwriting, maybe.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

Usually I work at the merch table until one minute before I have to go on stage.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

I think I'm obsessed with accessibility which is why, when I'm touring, I want to play all ages shows.

Phil Elverum
Phil Elverum

All the books on my shelves, when I would go to them to look for help with my anguish, they all just seemed so crass. They didn't get it. Those books don't understand. Nobody understands.