Juliana Hatfield

“To make big steps, you've got to take action yourself and not listen to other people.”

“My first guitar was a Gibson Challenger.”

“You can learn so much just by doing, not by listening to anybody.”

“People make such a big deal about how people in bands look, especially if you're a girl.”

“What does it mean to a person whose identity is very wrapped up in the music she makes, if her worth is measured by how many records she sells?”

“Harmonies come really naturally to me. I don't have to labor too hard over them. I'll sing a lead vocal, and then I will immediately have all of these other ideas for vocal harmonies. I think that some of the most fun parts of recording, for me, are the vocal harmonies.”

“I don't buy a lot when I travel, but when I do, I like to send gifts from wherever I am. It's fun to find the local post office.”

“People in L.A. don't have to brace themselves against the cold; they slack off permanently, and their brains turn to mush.”

“I'm kind of an emotional exhibitionist.”

“I want to paint. That is probably going to sound so pretentious coming from someone who's been a musician.”

“If you want to achieve things in life, you've just got to do them, and if you're talented and smart, you'll succeed.”

“I think everyone's pretty much the same underneath. The collective unconscious is a real thing. There's only a few emotions, and we all have them. There's, like, seven emotions. So personal is universal. Everyone experiences confusion, joy and pain, just in different forms.”

“Songwriting is like going to church. I'm connecting to something, and it's rewarding in really important ways. I don't need to share it with anyone to feel good about it.”

“I tend to fall for the archetypal, talented, charismatic rock boy.”

“When I start writing, I'll have a vague concept or I'll just have a title, and the song just goes on its own direction. Usually it goes in many directions within each song. They get really convoluted sometimes.”

“I don't really care about money. I find money boring and accounting boring, so I'm probably not going to ever make a lot of money.”

“David Ortiz is a genius. He's incredible to watch. Over and over, he hits home runs that are simply transcendent.”

“You find yourself approaching middle age, playing another scuzzy rock club.”

“I don't have anything to prove anymore. I don't have a record deal, no one has any expectations, I'm in a position of freedom. I don't need anyone's approval.”

“It may seem strange, but the most grateful I've ever felt was when I was held up at gunpoint. After I handed over my wallet and the mugger ran off into the woods, I thought, 'Thank you for not shooting me.' I was overwhelmingly glad to be alive and unharmed.”