Emilíana Torrini

"I think it’s hard to know how your work is affecting people, although it’s easier to tell with the Internet. I used to only get letters, which was great. It’s amazing because, suddenly, I can see people’s reactions. It’s a surprise because you don’t really know if anybody is listening to you. But I also think the Internet is very misleading. Artists can “Google” themselves and it looks like the world is about them when they’re actually just a tiny glitch in the matrix."

"To be stuck in a contract with people and not be happy will destroy you. It’s about being very, very strong in your convictions of what you’re doing and what you want, and then building a family around that—having people on your team who are working with you, and not against you. I have been really lucky because my music life has been full of people who look out for me and my interests, who are good friends outside of work, and who want the best for me."

"I think when I write for other people it’s much more playful. We laugh much more and it’s like putting on a costume and I’m much more free. I do quite little of it, I tend to write something and go ‘mine’ and I guess also because sometimes I would have to have somebody in mind to write for because I have a funny way of phrasing things and the songs are often quite subtle but they can be very hard to sing and I really love that. I tend to just own things for myself but if I get asked to write I’ll do it!”"