This year’s collection of our favorite Pitchfork interview quotables features wisdom on navigating the #branding era while keeping your soul intact, fighting against the Internet’s isolating tendencies, how streaming is changing the way we listen to music, the joys of fandom, the ambiguousness of faith, and the eternal embarrassment of talking about constipation.

“I feel fatigued by the concept that no art is safe from commercialism. Can’t I just experience something? I don’t want it to be branded. The thing that I crave is authenticity.” — Beach House’s Alex Scally

“People are like, ‘A manager can make you more money.’ How? By playing sponsored events? Those aren’t cool. They don’t make good stories. They aren’t legacy-making.” — Fucked Up’s Sandy Miranda

“A lot of bands believe there are certain paths you have to take towards success, and in the #branding era, a lot of those paths are paved with sponsorship money. But there are plenty of ways to work outside of those prescribed routes.” — Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis