A biography for Kurt Vilehasn’t been written yet.
“'Smoke Ring' was a downer, then 'Wakin' was an upturn.”
“When I write, I tend to tap into this human wondering vibe that could come off negative, but it's really not.”
“I do a lot of things, and I'll get excited about them - maybe it'll be a song in a movie - and then it comes out, and you're like, 'Aww, that was cool, but it wasn't quite as big a deal as I thought it would be.'”
“I've developed this routine at home. I wait for the kids to go to bed; then my wife falls asleep. Then, it's dark and quiet enough for me to work on songs.”
“My cousin used to make fun of me for liking stuff like C+C Music Factory. I didn't have any tapes; I just liked their song on the radio. We liked that because that was what we had access to.”
“Some people are so sad that, at times, that's what gets on my nerves - if they just hammer the doom, with no comic relief whatsoever.”
“I benefit from a change of scenery; it's always inspiring.”
“I'm obsessive when I get an idea in my head.”
“When I first got the record deal, I thought it felt like I won the lottery. But I always worked hard at it.”
“I've always been a deep sleeper; because I come from such a large family - there are 10 kids - I could sleep through anything. Even with my last day job, I'd sleep in later and later and start coming in an hour-and-a-half late. I got fired twice before I really got fired.”
“People do get mad at me for falling asleep sometimes, and it's the most frustrating thing. I can't help it. What am I gonna do?”
“All of my surroundings influence my songwriting. It's autobiographical, although I leave enough space so it's relatable.”
“I write a lot when I'm feeling bummed, but other times, you get locked in, and it's totally personal. If you're really low and writing, you're not thinking about anybody at all.”
“My music has to be funny and sad and happy and loving; it's gotta have it all. When somebody's just too dark all the time, it's just drama. Or if somebody's too funny? Well, I like being too funny sometimes.”
“We'll play somewhere like London, playing to 2,000 people easy, and every time you play with more people, you think, 'You're a rock star,' and it makes you laugh. I guess I am, but I'm also, you know, not.”
“I always sort of liked Mesa/Boogies, but I wasn't sure if they were cool or not cool.”
“I don't have anything to get off my chest. I'm not itching to prove myself anymore.”
“My dad's really funny. The male sense of humor - like my grandfather's and such - is pretty bizarre. Basically my dad's side of the family is where the bizarreness comes from. It's a little goofy and a little out there.”
“Life is mortal. There are all these rewards and consequences. Sometimes you embrace them, and sometimes they knock you over.”
“No offense to Boston, but I was glad to get out of there. I think it's just because I'm from Philly. Honestly, the blue collar side of each are pretty similar in ways, but something about the makeup of your brain, Philly versus Boston. It's a lot different, in weird ways.”