What I have in the studio is myself and my headphones. And of course the musicians that we hand-pick for the project. The way I have my headphone mix is pretty hot so that I get into a much more minutiae-oriented relationship with my voice. It's hard in the studio because it takes so much concentration, but the advantage is the clarity with which you can hear yourself. My energy is inner rather than outer directed, the way it would be in concert.
Recording is much more intimate and subtle, in a way.
Doing my first album live was a completely uncalculated brilliant career move. For me it was the easiest way to go because I was just stuck and didn't know how to make a record, so I just did a live recording since that seemed easiest. I'm not really usually thinking in the literal, linear sense. I'm just experiencing the music coming through me and connecting with the music gods. I talk about singing as being similar to a horn.