John Oates

“Americana Music is about all sorts of different music. It's very free and open: a world where people just like authentic music.”

“I think in music and a lot of creative fields, people's egos get in the way of their ability of seeing the big picture.”

“'Maneater' is about N.Y.C. in the '80s. It's about greed, avarice, and spoiled riches.”

“With Hall & Oates, honestly, after years and years of playing the same material, it's easy to coast. I can coast through a show.”

“I do a lot of things behind the scenes. I do a lot of things that don't hit the headlines.”

“I didn't make a solo album until the year 2000.”

“I think the key to making records generally is to make 'em for yourself, regardless of the climate in the business.”

“The key, I think, from a business point of view, is to learn how to be efficient in making a record that's not too expensive, so that you're not going crazy spending tons of money making a product that might not ever return that money.”

“The thing is, we've changed our style but we've never changed the actual roots of what we've done.”

“The only job I'd ever had that might be considered not playing music was teaching guitar, which I did in college for a while, but that still falls in the same category.”

“We collaborate together. We work with other people. We work by ourselves.”

“I like playing on stage, don't get me wrong.”

“The Christmas genre is a field that's been well-ploughed.”

“I'm an indie artist with major distribution, so one foot in the extreme major music business and one foot in the abyss of indie artists.”

“I think social media is so important; the young bands have certainly embraced that and used that to their advantage.”

“If it wasn't for music, I doubt whether we'd be friends.”

“I'm always reading something.”

“I get to play with all these different players who don't necessarily approach music always the same way that I might. So I learn a lot.”

“I sense people respond more to the honest approach to making music instead of the manufactured approach.”

“There's always a personal satisfaction in writing a song by yourself. You get the inspiration, and see it through, and you're done. It's focused and very personal.”