Elvis Costello

I've never felt British. I'm just not interested in national identity. I don't know why.

I don't think I was ever particularly mean. I can certainly think of some idiotic exchanges I've had. I was accused of destroying pop music, like Wagner destroyed opera - a guy in Germany started ranting that at me.

You have to face the fact that I have no reputation as a composer; I have my reputation as a songwriter and a performer-and that opportunity came this summer, when I was invited to perform at the Lincoln Centre festival in New York... three nights.

These are the sort of things that push you on in music - the curiosity, a passion for new ideas.

Smokey Robinson writes the heartfelt songs, whereas it was my job to write the songs about weakness and failure in love.

I believe that music is connected by human passions and curiosities rather than by marketing strategies.

I think when I was younger I was not very good at writing love songs that didn't have a twist.

And I don't feel any form of music is beyond me in the sense of that I don't understand it or I don't have some love for some part of it.

I've had an unusual life. A life far removed from most people's experience.

Very similar experience happened last year when we released this album, North. It was on Deutsche Grammophon, it was very, very honest. It was the most honest record I've ever written.

Life for me is about movement.

Living a very long time would be a very scary thing.