I'm like part of the Kurt Cobain school of writing lyrics, which is the syntax of the words is more important than... is where it all comes from. Zachary Cole Smith More Quotes by Zachary Cole Smith More Quotes From Zachary Cole Smith I guess I do feel the need to repent. I do feel like I owe the world a great album. I don't know why I feel that way. I just do. Zachary Cole Smith albums world needs I had to have the record literally taken away from me. I am such a perfectionist. Zachary Cole Smith perfectionist records taken There's positive attention and there's negative attention - negative attention is easy, positive attention requires actual hard work. Zachary Cole Smith hard-work attention negative Some kid can say, "Hey, I really want you to play my town in Switzerland, or Sweden, or Latvia," and they could have a fun night at the show. On the other hand, all those kids could have a record that means something to them in a more personal way a couple months down the road. The live band is a really important thing for us, but my focus is on the album now. Zachary Cole Smith couple fun mean Somebody who knows all about how to make the record, or how to make records, they know how to work the EQ and they know how to work the stuff, but they don't know what I want it to sound like. So it's just easier for me to do it myself. Zachary Cole Smith records sound want For me, it's always been important to have the live band be one thing, and the recorded band be kind of another thing. Zachary Cole Smith be-kind band important Music journalists are some of the lazy, most uninspired, dull people I've ever met... Zachary Cole Smith lazy dull people Drugs are fine for you alone at home, but when it comes to being a family, which a band is, it just messes everything up. Zachary Cole Smith band drug home I think that when people download the record they're kind of missing out on part of the experience, because it's really meant to be an immersive experience. Zachary Cole Smith missing people thinking There's all these people involved, and it becomes this huge machine - it stops being just me making my own little songs for myself, or for the world. And it's hard to stop the machine. If you want to take time to write a record, they're like, "OK, tour through March, April, and June, then you can take a few weeks off to record in July before getting back on the road for the European festival circuit." After a while, I had to put my foot down. Zachary Cole Smith feet writing song The touring band is DIIV, and the songs are always written with them in mind. But the new record is going to be more "me." Zachary Cole Smith band mind song We were a commodity used by corporations to make their brand look fashionable, but then they used us to keep kids out of venues. Zachary Cole Smith corporations kids looks I went with Beach Fossils and we played 40 shows because we wanted people to see us. Zachary Cole Smith fossils beach people If I play Coachella, it's sponsored by a company - that's corporate, too. But we're playing it because we're getting paid and we want to be a part of the festival. Zachary Cole Smith coachella want play When I read about myself and how writers have focused on negative stuff, it hurts my feelings. Zachary Cole Smith hurt feelings negative I spent my life working before I started band. I worked construction, landscaping. I worked in kitchens, cleaned dishes. I worked demolition. Zachary Cole Smith construction kitchen band