Most rock stars love to hear themselves talk. (Note to Mick Jagger: We’ve heard your story about winning $150 on the nickel slots at Mohegan Sun, like, a thousand times.) But Vines frontman Craig Nicholls doesn’t like opening his mouth at all. You see, he’s worried about confusing his interviewers—and himself. Nicholls can’t articulate what his lyrics are about, and every time he tries to address his music, he winds up talking about the cosmos. But that’s OK, because The Vines’ second album, Winning Days, is a mighty slab of finely honed rock that ranges from quiet and delicate to heavy and rib-rattling. Nicholls didn’t want to talk about his songs, so instead we chatted about space dinosaurs and how he has started summoning the ghosts of farm animals. We think that means we’re deep!

STUFF: You recorded Winning Days in Woodstock, New York. Did the ghost of Jimi Hendrix visit you?

CRAIG: I didn’t see ghosts of people, but I saw a whole bunch of turkeys, bears and deer, and some of them could have been ghosts. I felt like I was on acid or something, even though I wasn’t, so it’s confusing to me.

STUFF: Do you get confused a lot?

CRAIG: Only every second day. Then the next day after, I’ll know exactly what’s going on. But then I’ll probably just lose interest in it and start thinking about flying. 

STUFF: What do you daydream about?

CRAIG: I think there are more planets than we know of, and I think maybe some planets have dinosaurs and weird fairy creatures that fly around. And weird kinds of animals, which are half people. 

STUFF: Does space go on forever? As a rock star, you’re the most qualified person to field this question.

CRAIG: I once heard that it came full circle. It goes on and on, and then all of a sudden you’re back in your own head. I look at nature and feel that if I photograph it, it’s not going to be as good. Maybe if I write a song, that’s some way to capture it.

STUFF: I thought writing songs was just a way to impress hot women.

CRAIG: Maybe there are opportunities, but I’m shy and I wouldn’t really want to.

STUFF: But you’re not shy onstage.

CRAIG: Something shakes inside me, and my teeth start to grind together. There’s this energy I feel. It’s like I need an expert or something. I think I’m gonna try and get some Valium.

STUFF: Would that help?

CRAIG: It’s so strange to be a person. I often wish I were an animal. People think animals maybe aren’t so clever. Then again, maybe life isn’t about being clever. It’s not about getting faster cars and smaller telephones. 

STUFF: Says you!