Iris Luella DeMent (born January 5, 1961) is an American singer and songwriter. DeMent's musical style includes elements of the country and folk music genres. Read full biography of Iris Dement →
Most of the music you hear on the radio today is developed for making money. It doesn't feel true or honest. You can feel it in the music.
My guitar is really tempermental. I don't give up on it though, I'm close to my guitar!
Turn off the TV and start digging around for information that's not from a corporation trying to make money.
And I've been walking 'round with memories way too long.
Maybe I spent more time dwelling on emotions than some people, and maybe that's why I ended up writing.
I don't describe myself as a Christian or religious, but I like to think that how I live my life is honest.
For a long time I was interested in being a social worker. In a lot of ways I feel that that's all my music is, trying to help people.
I don't know what other people are like, I haven't been able to crawl inside anybody else.
I honestly don't listen to a lot of music - I spend so much time working at my own music.
I never set out to write songs about the world around me... it just kind of came about as a result of paying more attention to things.
I was mainly influenced by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and others like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash.
I've always been aware of having feelings that were pretty intense at times. I imagine most people have had that, or they wouldn't be human.
I've always written about things that cause me to feel something.