Bryce Dessner

As long as I'm still growing as a musician, it keeps me inspired. ”

I've got this diverse education, growing up in classical music and existing between that and music that is more visceral, so for sure, I've always been interested in music from other cultures. ”

I think that becoming a successful rock band is a little like becoming a professional athlete. Nobody plans on it. ”

I'm not trying to take over the world, but I find it really rewarding to write, and I thrive on learning. ”

There is a kind of adventure- and risk-seeking audience in classical contemporary music that is really empowering and part of what draws me to it. The people that come to these concerts are open-minded and curious. ”

Being a classical musician, you can go to school for it; you can go get a degree. Even as a composer, there is a certain career path you can follow, but becoming a rock musician is a much more elusive career. How do you learn that or do that? ”

We've played in places where there were more of us onstage than in the audience. ”

There is much more immediate access to creative music through online communities and blogs which have touched all corners of the music world including contemporary classical. ”

I can't just play in a rock band. The National is a great, exciting band to play in. We improvise a lot onstage, and it's very intense, but after a while, I crave other kinds of experiences. ”

To me, a song like 'Demons' or the title 'Trouble Will Find Me' are acknowledgments that you can't really plan for life, and you can't plan for trouble. ”