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The best relationship he ever had was with Robbie.
Lots and lots of cocaine.
Have you always been attracted to villains and outlaws?It comes from childhood.
I think theres something in our DNA that draws us to Jesse James.
We like Bonnie and Clyde maybe we shouldnt, but we do.
Im going to warn you aboutThe Irishman: Its different than any mob movie Ive ever seen.
It has a different rhythm, and leaves you with an unexpected feeling.
Theres a lot of quiet talking about things that shouldnt be going on.
Its not supposed to be a crash-bang-shoot-em-in-the-eyes kinda thing at all.
Its a different feeling, and I love it.
Theyll be expectingGoodfellas, where Henry Hill was tweaked and everything was high energy.
This is not that movie.
Did you ever actually experience the gangster lifestyle?My Uncle Natiewas like the Meyer Lansky of Canada.
It was the Jewish tradition of people who operated just outside the law.
They were in the whiskey business, and started out in bootlegging.
I felt a connection to it, and in my bloodline, its a part of who I am.
Do you remember the first time you met Scorsese?
I said, Oh, really?
Just like that, huh?
He went off and producedMean Streets.
He wanted me to see the movie, so they set up a screening for me.
After, Marty approached me to say hello.
This is a guy who makes magic.
I also immediately recognized that Robert De Niro was above and beyond, and an actors actor.
The next time I saw Marty was to talk aboutThe Last Waltz.
During the experience of putting togetherThe Last Waltz, I thought of Marty as part of my brotherhood.
I immediately really, really liked him, and recognized him as such a special talent.
When we lived together onMulholland, there was a lot of work being done.
We just thought of it as business as usual.
When we started breaking it down into time periods, it all grew from there.
We also started thinking about what would work as counterpoint, or what would not be the obvious choice.
I was doing music for a movie, but it couldnt sound like movie music?!
It works beautifully in the movie.
Have you guys ever gotten into fights over the way a movie should sound?
Any real heated arguments?Weve never had heated exchanges, but weve certainly had different points of view.
Ultimately, we tend to recognize the value in what one of us was bringing to the table.
Years ago, I did the score forThe Color of Money.
I wanted to work with Gil Evans and Willie Dixon.
On the tapes, I just hummed a melody, accompanying myself on piano, guitar, and keyboard.
I sent him these rough musical sketches, and Marty put them in the movie.
I said, No!
Thats just a sketch of an idea.
Its not for use in the movie!
Marty said that they worked beautifully, but I was embarrassed because I wasnt dressed.
He was using naked music before I even had a chance to do my thing.
Marty kept telling me that it was really working, and Id be surprised in the end.
He finally showed me the movie, and I thought, Well, Ill be damned.
Lets play a quick game.
Im Shipping Up to Boston fromThe Departed?That was me.
I just knew it worked, and Marty had never heard of Dropkick Murphys.
He fell in love with it immediately, and thats part of our working relationship.
Im still curious, and theres always great music being made.
I want to hear it.
Ive got my ears wide open all the time.
Has your creative process remained the same all these years?
I cant think of anything to write with those pencils.
I wonder where this is going.
Theres a certain joy in that, a pleasure in the discovery.
Its like that in every element of the creative process for me.
In a perfect world, would the Band still be making music together?Whos to say?
You cant predict tomorrow, but I thought we would be.
It just wasnt in the cards, and I had to accept that.
We started out so young, and it was such an amazing journey.
We had such an incredible brotherhood that I wanted it to last forever.
Theres only so much shit that you’re able to put in a book or a film.
The fact that Ive lost three of my brothers is tremendously sad.
I never thought Id be looking out at the world without those guys walking the earth.
Did you writeSinematicwith these guests in mind?Nothing was preconceived.
It all just happened, and I love it.
Sometimes, it doesnt work out, so theres a risk in collaboration.
I was doing the background vocals on Once Were Brothers with J.S.
Ondara and Citizen Cope, which doesnt fit together at all.
Its beautiful, magical, and a different sound.
If I can see it, and it helps tell the story, then I know its true.
Ive known Glen Hansard for a while, and hes an amazing talent.
It was almost magical, because I wasnt thinking about these connections going in.
It just made perfect sense.
To this day, I still havent had a chance to seeRenaldo and Clara.
I enjoyed the idea that it was a complete put-on.
Are you still really close with Dylan?We spoke about two or three weeks ago.
Were talking about some stuff, so well see.
How is your mental headspace today?
Are you happier than youve ever been?I think so!
I dont want to jinx anything, but Im having as good a time as Ive ever had creatively.
That enthusiasm and excitement leads to a certain contentment and happiness.
This interview had been edited and condensed for clarity.
