Nick cave

I don't write happy songs. Who does? I don't know anybody who writes happy songs, really.

The idea of songwriting is a transformative thing, and what I do with songwriting is take situations that are quite ordinary and transform them in some way. Apart from things like the murder ballads,...

As Australians, we see the law as inherently bad. We have a real inherent distaste for authority in our makeup.

I'm an Australian, and when I grew up much of my influences were American - blues music and country music, all that sort of thing.

Film seems to be a medium designed for betrayal and violence.

I'm not religious, and I'm not a Christian, but I do reserve the right to believe in the possibility of a god.

I'm very happy to hear that my work inspires writers and painters. It's the most beautiful compliment, the greatest reward. Art should always be an exchange.

I don't think Hollywood makes many good films anymore. How many directors can you really trust to have an artistic vision, not a corporate vision or a watered-down communal one?

In getting older, I find myself becoming progressively more ineffectual in a lot of different ways, and part of that is down to no longer having the youthful feeling that what you're doing has any...

It's an Australian thing to be dismissive. We find that endearing. Americans don't. They believe what you say.