112 Quotes by Steven Wilson

I never wanted us to be an exercise in nostalgia, living in the shadow of other artists.

I think that's part of the battle of defining yourself as an artist. You're constantly fighting the pressure from outside to be pigeonholed and deliver more of what people already liked.

Ultimately, I don't think you can be a character who's completely alien or divorced from your own personality. It's probably true of every writer - it's probably true of every filmmaker, every songwriter - that, ultimately, every character you create is a facet of yourself.

When you're in a band, you're all in it together. You're always available. You're always available for the albums; you're always available for the tours. There's no question of that.

Every time the mainstream media talk about progressive rock, they wheel out a clip of Rick Wakeman in a cape. For me, it's one of the most ambitious forms of music. The problem is that when it doesn't work, you end up with Emerson, Lake and Palmer doing symphonies with 60-piece orchestras and revolving pianos, which I think is ridiculous as well.

Some musicians feel they have to provide what their audiences expect. They lose the distinction between an artist and an entertainer. I am not an entertainer.

Pop shouldn't be a comfortable slipper. It should shock and surprise you and confront your expectations.

I am a great believer that you should record more than you need and then use the absolute best.

I loved disco music, and I still count Donna Summer as one of my favorites of all time.