Insurance company called and wants a recorded statement - do I have to agree?

I filed a homeowner's claim for storm damage 10 days ago. The roof is visibly damaged - two neighbors on my street have already had their claims approved and are getting new roofs. My adjuster came out last week and now their claims department called me and said they need to schedule a "recorded statement" before they can process my claim.

I've never had a claim this big before (contractor estimates are around $18,000) and this caught me off guard. They were friendly but very insistent. They said it's "standard procedure." But something felt off - why do my neighbors not need to give recorded statements? I called one of them and he said nobody asked him for one.

My gut says don't do it without talking to someone first, but I also don't want to slow down my claim. What does this actually mean, and should I be worried? Do I have to do it? Can I just answer in writing instead?