Home / Quotes / Quote by Stephin Merritt

Quote by Stephin Merritt

“I think there is such a valid concept as "serious music," meaning that if you don't take it seriously, you don't get it all.”

Author

Stephin Merritt

Stephin Merritt is a talented singer-songwriter known for his unique musical style and profound lyrics. Since his birth in 1965, he has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the independent music scene. more

“Well, things hold up even if they sound dated. It can be very difficult to listen to 80s pop songs with really, really gigantic smashed drum sounds. You just want to turn that gated reverb down on the snare. It sounds wrong now. It sounds amateurish. And ugly. But at the time it sounded state-of-the-art. So yeah, I think it's important not to sound state-of-the-art in a way that anybody else is going to sound. Or you'll quickly sound like yesterday's state-of-the-art.”

Thinking Important Song Difficult Ugly Pop Song

Author:Stephin Merritt

“There are only so many instruments you can layer on top of each other that aren't perfectly electronically programmed. "Long Vermont Roads" just cannot be performed live, because it's just too cluttered if it's played by humans. Synthesizers stay out of each other's way in a way that hand-played instruments never can.”

Long

Author:Stephin Merritt

“There's already a great deal to do writing the songs. And if I were completely in control of it, nobody would be able to say "this song doesn't work."”

Writing Song

Author:Stephin Merritt

“If the songs were in lumps, then you would expect to understand what was going on in the plot. Which is not a realistic goal. And also the instrumentation is different for every show, so it's more varied sonically. And people are free to make up their own plots, of course. There are pretty dense and complicated plots, and they're simple songs.”

People Different Song Goal Simple Complicated Realistic

Author:Stephin Merritt

“I actually prefer to hear small groups of instruments. Orchestras seem to lack a texture for me, or variety of texture. There's only about ten things you can do with one note in a string section. But a lone violin is continuously changing textures.”

Variety Lone

Author:Stephin Merritt

Music Is Musical Block Irrelevant Popular Music Musical Theater

Author:Stephin Merritt

“My mother was into folk-rock when I was little, so I think of folk-rock as the norm from which everything else deviates. Of course, that's completely preposterous, but that's how I grew up. What is the norm by which to judge wordiness? I think I'm less wordy than Madonna.”

Thinking Mother Judging Norm

Author:Stephin Merritt

Quote by Stephin Merritt

Author

You May Also Like