Evan Dando, 42, is the lead singer of the Lemonheads. He lives in New York with his wife, the British model Elizabeth Moses. His band's latest album, Varshons, is out tomorrow
- My mum was so antidrugs and alcohol - her father was a crazy alcoholic who stole cop cars and pushed them over cliffs. I may have some of his genes, because he was pretty anarchic. My dad was okay with drugs - that's hard for a kid. You need to know what's right and what's not.
- As a child of the 1970s, I learnt to surf and ski. I know how to fall. That's useful in rock'n'roll, metaphorically, too. You have to know how to take the crashes.
- I've always been honest about taking drugs - the truth is easier to remember.
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- A band works best when there is no democracy. The Lemonheads have seen many incarnations - you're always in charge if you're the oldest guy there.
- I often get the songwriting feeling when I first wake up. All songs start with a hum inside of you, and in the morning, sometimes, you can catch it.
- I love travelling. I like returning to places and getting a cumulative picture. I've been to Vienna, like, 17 times. But try spending two years in Vienna - it's boring, man.
- I saw 9/11 from my apartment. It was a wake-up call. I stopped drinking for four years - I'd been having 45 drinks a day. But I broke my fast with Johnny Knoxville. I was like, "Looks like this is when I'm going to drink."
- I rent a 1926 hunting shack in West Virginia with a pump well and no electricity. I have a theory that limitation boosts creativity. Then you can take it as far as you can in one context. I always tend towards simple ideas - it's more natural.
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- It's not that I like the way my long hair looks, but the way it feels: it makes me feel stronger.