Why do some albums take forever? I think you keep your inspirations close to your heart whenever you write. You remember how your favorite albums feel as complete as films and as you draw on your own experiences (emotionally if not realistically), you might have a general sense of how things should feel before you even start. Letting the pie bake on the shelf, so to speak, is an important part of the process. In the case of my new album, I had cut tracks with a band, but was not so impressed with the arrangements. The grooves were solid and well-recorded, so they stayed with me like a finished foundation. I tend to push myself into new situations personally and professionally for the sake of some type of plympton-esque experiences that I can use as fodder, or more politely, “stems” for songs. You can be somewhat objective about your own process, as if the goal was to create a mixtape with your own work. You could seek to represent your breadth of ability, or choose to go deeply in one...