Steve are there any influences that you've held on to, are there any lyricists or writers within rock music that you've always admired and you still admire now? Or has it changed?"

Thom: "Um, yeah, I mean, it's always changed. You hold the torch to all these people, like um, R.E.M., the way Michael Stipe writes his words will always floor me. So I just... off the top of my head it's really hard. Tom Waits, Public Enemy, Polly Harvey..."

I ask him to name the sexiest record he owns.

"That's a good question," Thom says. "Public Enemy was pretty sexy. '911's a Joke' was a sexy song."

"I wouldn't want to take on that kind of responsibility, but I think I can't help finding myself—given the particular weapon I have at my disposal—wanting to use it occasionally in certain circumstances. But I think it's best used inside the music; that's where you can have the best effect. Some people are able to do it—Neil Young, Bob Marley; Bob Dylan's done it endlessly. Lots of rap does it; Public Enemy does it endlessly, so it's possible to do and do well. But I always have to be aware when it comes to writing and when it comes to music, you don't just come and say, 'I want to put this in the song.' It naturally evolves, and it's naturally a part of what's going on ... Anger is an energy source for me, especially lyrically when I'm presented with something I consider utter madness ... My writing is a constant response to doublethink.