The real challenge of writing songs isn't just writing a bunch of parts - like a verse, chorus, verse - but making something that flows together, that brings you back. James Mercer backbringbunch Change image and share on social
The Shins is, in a way, a recording project that turned into a live band. So I don't really keep myself beholden to any rules when I'm in the studio for Shins. I just gotta get it done as best I can. James Mercer bandbeholdengotta Change image and share on social
My attempt at really doing classic sort of songwriting is Shins stuff. James Mercer attemptclassicshin Change image and share on social
As a child, I lived in Germany at the Ramstein air force base, where my dad sang at a nightclub in Kaiserslautern. My parents couldn't afford a babysitter, so when I was, like, ten or 11, I would go with them to the bar until two in the morning. James Mercer affordairbabysitter share on social
There's not a lot of thinking that I need to do away from the studio on Broken Bells stuff. James Mercer bellbreaklot Change image and share on social
My dad was a Navy munitions officer, and by the end of his career, he was a specialist in nuclear weapons. James Mercer careerdadend Change image and share on social
I know that there are a lot of sort of silly things that one thinks as a music listener about bands. I am a fan of many bands. James Mercer bandfanlistener Change image and share on social
Maybe it's just parenthood that puts you in a situation where you just have to develop a new attitude, I guess, about things. James Mercer attitudedevelopguess Change image and share on social
I've never been one to think it was cheating to sample this or to loop the drum part there - I've always done that. Even using four-track cassette recorders, I was always doing whatever I could to make it as good as I could. James Mercer cassettecheatdrum share on social
The thing that inspires me most is empathizing with people's flaws and seeing how they deal with them. That sort of connection you feel with someone when you realize that maybe even the negative things that they've said or done are because of insecurities or injuries they've endured. James Mercer connectiondealempathize share on social
