Johnny Flynn

“Westminster politics is very unattractive, and people are channelling political energy into more inward questioning - there are a lot of musicians whose songs are all about feeling, and it's almost like that's the only safe place to express yourself.”

“Taking someone else's language and fitting it into your own speech - you learn a lot about other people's brains, doing that.”

“I've always identified as an actor. That's what I set out to do.”

“I had to learn how to work in a studio at first because it's a totally different creative environment to the 'bedroom recordings' I'd done before, where I could translate my own ideas without having to explain them to anyone.”

“I can't remember a 'best gig,' and my brain doesn't work in absolute terms like that.”

“I guess I started writing poetry and stuff and then decided to set it to music.”

“I definitely asked too many questions of my teachers and was probably a bit facetious at times.”

“In my early twenties, the whole experience of going on tour was like losing myself in this slightly wild environment.”

“Bob Dylan has and Einstein had their own way of perceiving the universe and translating it for us.”

“I'm obsessed with pilgrimages. I love following old routes, imagining the consciousness of those who walked them.”

“I always love going to New York.”

“I've been cast in a lot of comedies. I've done things like multi-cam sitcoms: you know, 'Seinfeld' type... not as good as 'Seinfeld,' but that kind of thing. I love that stuff.”

“A lot of the work I've done has involved playing quite sympathetic characters.”

“When I was young, I was being pushed, against my will, towards becoming a classical musician. I had music scholarships; I had to play the violin and do orchestra practice and that sort of stuff. That meant I didn't get to do any school plays. I desperately wanted to do that.”

“If you're trying to do something wholly new, it's hard to fully trust it. But if you use forms that have come before, it lends your music weight and authority. It's also a way to acknowledge that it's not just you who's feeling these things. The emotions are coming through you from a whole history.”

“I imagine that, for most people, acting isn't something they think is a viable option, whereas for me, it was the most viable option. No adults around me knew how to do anything else.”

“The reason I stopped music for a while and concentrated on theatre was that it was more conducive to parenting; having the days free was quite handy. I love them both. I hope I don't have to compromise one for the other.”

“It's not in the mainstream media, but across towns, it is amazing how there are small groups of people getting together and forming artistic collectives - they may not be being overtly political, but I'd say by channelling their energy into community projects, that's a valid political statement.”

“I think the truest things come from silence, but everything's always so clogged up with noise. If everything falls away, and you can truly listen to someone, giving them yourself and generosity, you can truly lose yourself in what they're saying. Like, not impose your ideas on what they're saying, but really tune into them.”

“We had no money, my dad was out of work a lot, and we never owned a house. It was very hand-to-mouth.”