Jake Shears

I've always loved to write, and I wrote fiction all my life. That's what I thought I was going to do in my life - until I started writing songs.

L.A. will never, ever, ever, ever be my town. It'll never be my town. It's not New York.

I've grown to love L.A. It was a really touchy transition. It was not the easiest. It took me some years to love it.

I get a little teary on stage sometimes. It can be really emotional when it dawns on you that people are singing along and having fun.

All I really care about is making great music and putting on great shows. I think, to do that, you have to be fearless. It certainly doesn't help to be insecure.

Lord knows, I love a brainless pop song.

It is a lot of fun being in the Scissor Sisters.

It's been in my musical DNA since I was a little kid. I think musical theatre has really influenced everything I've done.

Ween is in my top five and have always been a huge inspiration.

I'm not the easiest person in the world to be partners with. I'm never home. I'm constantly running around the world. I can be impatient. I have a temper. I'm, like, self-obsessed. I'm irritable, self-absorbed.

One of my favorite venues is the Bowery Ballroom in New York. I love the room; there's a tiny stage, but I really like the feel of it.

I just like to work with other people, and I like things that are kind of a little bit bigger than that. I don't know. I just feel like a solo record just kind of gives me the willies a little bit.

I do think it's possible to change people's minds - it's one of my goals with my music.

I think, as people, we're isolating ourselves. We're talking to each other through our phones, arguing... those divisions freak me out.

I hope that I do make music that can speak to anyone. I don't just want to play for a queer crowd.

I came out when I was 15 at school, and I realized I had put myself into a precarious situation. It was a very hostile environment for me, and a lot of kids had it in for me. It was a scary situation. I was very impatient. I wanted to grow up now.

I've never been great at being really analytical about myself.

I love creating things. I love making things.

I stopped writing fiction the moment I started writing songs, and I miss it.

There are only so many chords and notes in the world.

I saw David Bowie in 'Labyrinth' when I was seven or eight. I told my mom I wanted a Bowie record, so we traveled to the mainland, which was, like, a three-hour trip, and I bought 'Let's Dance' and 'Tonight.' 'Let's Dance' blew my little mind. I became obsessed with it.

I'm so crazy about making albums and singing and dancing.

We've never been outrageous on stage.

My mom gets so upset at me when I say stuff in the press about anything political, and it drives me crazy because I say to my mom: 'I can't be on the side of any sort of war and I'm not going to be.'

I love Rebel Rebel in Manhattan's West Village for vinyl, but record stores are hard to come by these days. I almost don't even use iTunes. I mostly use music subscription services. But I'll go into Rebel Rebel once a month or so and buy everything I love on vinyl.