Sometimes an accessible song with an ­off-­kilter touch is more compelling than … Something totally crazy? I think so too. Wilco is one of those bands that seem to do that pretty well, where the basic structure of the song is familiar in some way, but then they do crazy production ideas and it’s really effective. I love the Beatles and the masters of pop writing, but I also love the fact that a band like the Beatles was so willing to experiment and do these things that were maybe more cerebrally entertaining.

Is making those two sides mesh something you can improve at with experience? I think so. I think I’ve certainly gotten more intuitive about the whole process. It’s strange, though, because you look at the careers of so many pop artists, and they just seem to dwindle so quickly; 20 years into it, they’re doing such mundane, boring stuff. I suppose they ride such a wave of luxury and of all their wishes coming true that maybe it just makes them lazy. I don’t know — I hope it never happens to me.