Richard Ashcroft

“Creativity, for me, is almost like therapy; my songs take you into the underbelly of my mind, and there's some dark stuff in there.”

“The mainstream consumed our culture.”

“Just because something's kinda indie and whatever and only a few people know it, it doesn't give it more authenticity over Rihanna's 'Work' work work.”

“I'm not one of those freaks who can't see anything past 1977.”

“I've got a letter from the Dalai Lama at home.”

“People wanted me to become this cliched Keith Richards, Iggy Pop character. I wasn't expected to marry a beautiful wife and have kids.”

“I'm not driven by fame or success. I'm quite a shy, introverted person, and I could easily melt away into the background.”

“Some people have a God because they need faith, and that's fair enough.”

“If you really, truly believe in something, you're on fire, and your tongue rolls at the same pace.”

“They called me 'Mr. Average' in school.”

“You have to build yourself up a bit. You have to believe in yourself, because not that many other people will, you know?”

“I've got kids now; it changes you radically.”

“If this world hasn't made you semi-mad, then you ain't living in it.”

“What happened in the '70s was albums and concerts began making a hell of a lot more money, and then the suits got involved.”

“I'm never happy with any record, never truly been happy.”

“Ed Sheeran? I don't like the fact he gets a lot of stick. I like the fact he works hard, and God knows how much money he pays to the tax man each year.”

“I have never had a bad review off a good-looking person.”

“Other kids would be playing with their Action Man, and I was questioning life and society.”

“Rock n' roll is like a religion.”

“You can find the greatest sound of all time, and someone's going to squash it down to a tiny little earphone anyway or play it through the computer, and that is a big thing people have to think about now.”