A biography for Will Oldhamhasn’t been written yet.
“I don't like going to cities. I don't mind maybe being in a city sometimes for a few hours, but I pretty much don't like cities. I don't even like passing through them.”
“People are looking for fame or a focus, and I can't provide that.”
“I make the songs and part of making them is singing them. But what you hear is not me. It's the song. It's through me.”
“I'd like my records to reach as many people as possible, but I'm also thinking in terms of how I can keep from getting jaded or unhappy with the process.”
“I write a song to be recorded. And to some extent to be performed, but definitely more to be recorded than performed, because the recording will last longer than a performance.”
“I need to go someplace faraway that doesn't have telephones and doesn't have a record player and doesn't have movie theaters and people walking down the street in order to not do anything.”
“It's nice to be able to backtrack and not be embarrassed by the music you used to listen to.”
“I think that America in general is piratical. Every time we accept a paycheck for doing almost nothing, allowing us to live above the poverty line, we're engaging in piracy.”
“When I was a kid, I always thought that acting was going to be the way to go.”
“Too much emphasis is put on American roots music when people try and place me. You know, I grew up listening to punk.”
“I think records and music are more appropriate and more respectful of the human soul than the churches are. And more respectful of the needs of humans to communicate with the aspects of themselves that are neglected by language.”
“There's very little admirable about being a pirate. There's very little functional about a pirate. There's very little real about a pirate.”
“I really hate press.”
“Cities are made for enemies to destroy.”
“I don't like the idea of being surrounded by hidden things; people you can't see in buildings and cars.”
“I figure it's okay to make certain rules, whether or not people despise you for it at the time.”
“Whenever I see something that looks like it could be good - whether it's on vinyl, CD or cassette - if it's not too expensive, I'll take a chance.”
“It's O.K. to accept good fortune.”
“I think that what trips up a lot of great musicians is that they become involved with too many things that aren't where their strengths lie.”
“What is normally called religion is what I would tend to call music - participating in music, listening to music, making records and singing.”