Do you ever get tired of writing really long answers? It seems hard. Lovely, but hard.

Yes.

I am an art student. I’ve read that Stefan Lochner is your favourite painter. Is that true?
CHRISTOFF, COLOGNE, GERMANY

Yes.

Do you actually like people?
PEACH, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Yes.

I lost my partner in April. He was 33. I feel him here. I’m overwhelmed by grief and beauty all at once. Do you ever stretch out your hand and feel like someone is holding it?
ERIN, CHICAGO, USA

Yes.

I just finished reading Lolita and many times the book made me think of your song Lament. Is there any correlation between these?
GRETA, SÄFFLE, SWEDEN

Yes.

“A bad review is like one of those worms in the Amazon that swims up your penis. If you read it, you can’t get it out, somehow.” So said the late Denis Johnson. Do you agree?
OSCAR, DARWIN, AUSTRALIA

Yes.

Do you ever get on your own nerves?
DAVIS, HUDDERSFIELD, UK

Yes.

Do you love The Cure?
FABIO, FLORIANÓPOLIS, BRAZIL

Yes.

Can you try to answer three unrelated questions with a single word answer?
BEN, DUBLIN, IRELAND

Yes.

Do you practice yoga?
NICOLA, ESHER, UK

No.

Are you building up to start your own church?
BARRY, ROTHESAY, SCOTLAND

No.

Don’t you feel you have a moral duty to use this platform to comment on current political situations in the world?
VAL, LONDON, UK

No.

Do you call yourself a Christian?
THERESA, NEW YORK, USA

No.

Do you believe in the “end of times”? Do you think we are currently going through biblical or prophesied events?
ERIC, BEND, OREGON, USA

No.

Do you think that most people are doing the best they can?
VLINDER, MAASTRICHT, HOLLAND

No.

Please make The Red Hand Files available in little frames so that they can be hung in a downstairs loo.
OLIVIA, LONDON, UK

No.

Will you come and live with me in my house in the woods so I can have your babies?
ANDREA, BURLINGTON, VERMONT, USA

No.

Do you use social media?
YAZ, MINNEAPOLIS, USA

No.

Does it ever worry you about being cancelled?
FIONA, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

No.

I’ve just seen a clip of Pink (the acclaimed singer) flying over her audience on wires, performing many acrobatic moves? Have you ever thought of doing such a thing during a Bad Seeds concert?
STEVEN, TAMWORTH, AUSTRALIA

No.

Are you a conspiracy theorist, Nick? I find it hard to resist an elaborate conspiracy and often dwell on them to the point of paranoia.
LIAM, GREENVILLE, SC, USA

No.

Have you had any good dreams lately?
JACK, POTTSVILLE, AUSTRALIA

No.

I am a huge Birthday Party fan and am thrilled to see the history of the band put into film in the recent documentary Mutiny in Heaven. Have you seen it?
CHRIS, MANCHESTER, UK

No.

Given the spiritual and religious maturity found within yourself and Susie over the last few years and given your creative new deep literal and musical directions, your opening up and sharing your love and experience; don’t you think it is time you gave up the black hair dye and enlightened us all with your true corporeal self.
MONDO 23, LONDON, UK

No.

I is the ultimate soul of Mister YORKE of Radiohead (the other Essence. The soul have an Essence, Essence woman or Essence man). I is Yin, he is Yang of the same Tao sign. He is the Love of I in other words. I do not succeed to contact him and receive annoy where I is. Would it be possible for you to reach him and to say to him for me?
PATRICIA, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

No.

Would you wear leather trousers again?
NICK, CAMBRIDGE, UK

No.

Are you a Tory?
LISA, BROOKLYN, USA

No.

Will Mick Harvey or Blixa Bargeld ever play with the Bad Seeds again?
ALEX, HAMBURG, GERMANY

No.

Are you gay?
JACK, CLEVELAND, USA

No.

Do you keep fit or go to a gym?
MIKE, LONDON, UK

No.

Would you say you were a negative person?
GRACE, MONTREAL, CANADA

No.

How come you know everything?
ANYA, SEAFORD, UK

I don’t know.

Why are you so boring?
BLOKE, PALM BEACH, USA

I don’t know.

Why must death be so brutal?
SHIRLEY, FAIRFAX, USA

I don’t know.

Do you think that your growing religiousness has something to do with you getting closer to death?
MP, RICKMANSWORTH, UK

I don’t know.

What’s the point of living if free will is an illusion?
LIEVEN, GHENT, BELGIUM

I don’t know.

Dis Antifa, you fucker. Woke culture will drag you to hell. We are coming to cut your fucking heart out, you junkie, shit father. How do you feel now, you fascist loser?
ANON, SEATTLE, USA

I don’t know.

WHY IS LIVING SO HARD?
LILIANA, OPORTO, PORTUGAL

I don’t know.

How do you know a song is finished? How do you know it’s good?
LELE, DRESDEN, GERMANY

I don’t know.

You say uncertainty is the defining principal of your life. Why is that?
CLAIRE, SEAFORD, UK

I don’t know.

Do you want to wish a joyful holiday season to all and for a cessation to the trouble and tears and heartache and weariness and affliction across the world, and for life to be full of true kindness and warmth and forgiveness and the love of others. Do you wish that for all people?
NICK AND SUSIE, BRIGHTON, UK

Yes, we do.

Love, Nick