Regina Spektor discusses her classical upbringing, her Russian heritage, and how her love for a wide range of musical styles—including metal, jazz, and hip-hop—shapes her sound. She describes her songwriting process, emphasizing the need to be home in New York to write, and how she draws inspiration from observing people. She reflects on her perfectionist tendencies in the studio, recounting how she nearly cut "Us" from Soviet Kitsch and re-recorded "Samson" for Begin to Hope after mastering was completed. Spektor also shares her love for live performance despite stage fright, laughs off fan theories about her label influencing her sound, and names Charlie Chaplin, Mozart, and Oscar Wilde as her ideal dinner guests.