David Crosby has revealed that thinking about his death has motivated his late-career output.

“I’ve been making records at a startling rate. I’ve made five albums in six, seven years. It’s an absurd rate to be cranking albums out,” he noted in an interview with the journalism class at Golden High School (via Best Classic Bands). “The reason being is that I’m gonna die.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer further elaborated to the students that awareness of his mortality has kept him focused on continually creating.

“Everybody dies. I’m sure someone told you. And I want to crank out all the music I possibly can before I do,” Crosby explained. “Now I’m 80 years old so I’m gonna die fairly soon. That’s how that works. And so I’m trying really hard to crank out as much music as I possibly can, as long as it’s really good. … I have another one already in the can waiting.”

Crosby’s most recent album, For Free, was released in 2021. The LP was his fifth since 2014. He recently confirmed that he’s done with touring, though, pointing out that he was “too old” for a life on the road.

During a 2021 conversation with UCR, Crosby admitted he still loved recording new songs, even as streaming services have lessened the value of music. “I don’t get paid for it, but I do love recording and it’s what I will leave behind,” Crosby explained. “It’s where I make my mark. I’m happy about that. I’m not happy that somebody else is making billions of dollars off of it and not paying me, but I do love recording.”

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