Paolo Nutini

“Racism is one of the worst forms of torture because it's directed at something you never asked for and something you can't change.”

“Sometimes when you get frustrated, your back is against the wall, and you come out fighting and knock out three songs in as many days.”

“I like to record something pretty much as soon as I have an idea for a song, but I'm on so many buses, I have to record on my mobile.”

“I remember I wanted to be Zorro, but I also wanted to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I obviously had ideas above my station.”

“I've never had anything as formal as vocal lessons.”

“When I got my first publishing deal, I felt some responsibility to try to write with the people that they were asking me to write with.”

“To be honest, the first time round, I didn't think 'Fame Academy' was the worst premise in the world. You got people on, and they would write songs and develop themselves as artists. But then, instead of getting a little bit more credible, it got a little bit more ridiculous.”

“I just want people to leave a show and go, 'That was the most rockin' show I've ever seen.' I hope people can just roll with me a little bit - you know?”

“The first record I was really into was the Drifters' 'When My Little Girl Is Smiling.'”

“I am not steeped in all that angst. I'm never going to be Sid Vicious.”

“Music is probably one of the most honest things out there - it's feral.”

“Music is a good way to channel your fragile, vulnerable, needy side, but it's also something to rejoice in.”

“I learned to sing from my mum and dad's record collection.”

“I went through a phase of buying a lot of masks, as anyone who has been to a party at the house will testify.”

“I started to learn some common sense. Even just sort of day-to-day things. I started to cook a little bit more and try to learn to fix things around the house. If something breaks down, rather than call a guy, there's got to be more I can do.”

“I know some bands that are precious about their new ideas. They're conscious of the fact that people can - even from mobile phones - begin to get clearer and better recordings of the songs... so they're a lot more hesitant to play them.”

“If you're going to call yourself a musician, you have to go out and make music.”

“When things get too grand or too big, I struggle to keep up with it all.”

“One of my ambitions is to move to Tuscany. I like the idea of getting a vineyard. I love being under the sun and being casual and comfortable. That's my idea of heaven.”

“'Astral Weeks' is a brilliant album, and songs like 'Moondance' are just beautiful lyrically.”