I think I’ve written this before, but the music that impacts me the most always has a hint of melancholy to it. I’m not sure why that is. I like the upbeat stuff, but the stuff that hits me most deeply – it’s gotta be melancholy.
I was reading about Kurt Cobain in Newsweek and it seems like it’s somewhat universal, that a lot of times, the music that impacts people the most is borne out of pain. I think it’s because suffering is the universal human experience, and people like to know they’re not alone. The worst advice you can give someone who’s depressed, I think, and something I’ve said too much in the past, is “don’t be depressed”. It’s probably better to say, “you’re not alone”. And that’s what the best music makes me feel.