Ezra Furman

I think most of the work of songwriting is thinking of great phrases - I'm addicted, always on the hunt for a really great phrase. ”

Just being a normal person and having a social life involves a lot of dishonesty for me. ”

Not only am I a shy person, I take a little while to say what I mean, especially in a social situation, and usually those move too fast for me to say anything at all. ”

I could write a joke song really easily, but I think something that might be true for my generation is that there's a certain irony or detachedness expected of us, even though we really feel sincere. So the only way to sincerity is through a joke. ”

I'm a shy person whose very presence has become a confrontation. I think that's true of a lot of queer people. ”

As children my grandparents were refugees. Eventually they got to the U.S. - in 1950 or something. They grew up as refugees. Their earliest memories are of living in a home with their family. It's in my blood, I guess, to have a fear about encouraging fascism. ”

We music fans go to shows for transcendence; it's like being called to prayer. ”

Part of what you hear when somebody says something awful to you is like, 'They're right, I look ridiculous, why am I dressed this way, I should go home and change.' For me that voice is always in my head, right around the corner. ”

We punk fans have so much energy to give to the fight against injustice, i.e. the abuse of the poor by the rich, i.e. climate change. ”

More visibility is more power, but more vulnerability. ”