Josh Tillman

If music was made by some kind of critical theorist, it would sound like my music.

I try to make myself, and subsequently the audience, as uncomfortable as possible, whether it's completely desecrating a song they thought was one thing, or getting too drunk to really do a very good job.

I think that providing obstructions in the live setting is when you get something that actually means something, as opposed to just aping your way through your greatest hits.

People think the world of music is so great, and it's just not. It's so boring, the way music is conceived and then declawed for public consumption.

I play sad bastard music. For the money.

I think Kanye West is a hilarious writer.

I was kind of bored playing drums in a band. Which was depressing, because playing in the band was kind of a golden ticket.

I've been writing a lot about my encounter with love. Which is the white stag as far as songwriting is concerned because love songs are so banal, and my experience with love is anything but that.

Love is the substance of human survival.

I love the exhilaration of feeling a pull quote come out of your mouth. The words just taste better.

You can choose to live in love or choose to live in fear.

The main criticism people have of me is, 'Why are you trying so hard? This guy's exhausting.' Yeah, I am! That's my way of trying to get love.