Stephen Malkmus is the founder of the 90s band Pavement. Since that ended he has been putting out semi-solo albums with his band the Jicks. Their latest is Face the Truth.
Check out the official site for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hey Steve, how are you doing?
Stephen Malkmus: Good. Where are you?
DRE: Im in Manhattan.
Whats going on today? Youre just, youre just doing interviews, I think, right?
SM: Yea. Im just chilling in an apartment doing interviews. SuicideGirls is from Portland, right?
DRE: It started there.
SM: Thats where I live mainly.
DRE: Are you a fan of SuicideGirls?
SM: Ive looked on it before but I dont have a password.
DRE: Well get you one.
Hey, do I hear a baby?
SM: Yeah shes back there crying.
DRE: Oh, I didnt actually know you had kids.
SM: I have one.
DRE: Hows that going?
SM: Pretty good. Shes like freshly hatched. 11 weeks.
DRE: Oh shes really new.
SM: Yeah, shes cool. She doesnt seem to be fussy.
DRE: Does she like your old stuff better?
SM: She doesnt like indie rock. She doesnt like metal. She likes just mellow singer/songwriter, softer stuff.
DRE: Oh yeah?
SM: That can change. People tell me that I may have to get these baby music CDs and stuff.
DRE: Would you get her like Wiggles?
SM: I would. Ill get her whatever she wants.
DRE: They dont know what they want.
SM: Well they have the baby know-it-all moms. Theyre always giving you advice about what youre going to need.
DRE: Its funny; my sister has a pretty new baby. We were playing the Wiggles in the car for my sisters daughter and obviously between these songs theres a break, and during the break she goes Wiggles? Like, where did the music go?
SM: Thats pretty funny
DRE: Do you travel with her a lot?
SM: Well she came here with us to New York. But shes not going to come with me on the tour. Im touring in June so its back to the good old fashioned SuicideGirl decadence.
DRE: When I put your album in my computer I happened to have the volume up really loud and that first track was really loud!
SM: Yeah, its in your face.
DRE: What made you decide to do that?
SM: I just wanted to tear-it-up a little bit. Not be all soft and touchy feely or something because, thats not the sound of young Portland, as far as Im concerned or the sound of Old Steve. Its time to shred a little bit.
DRE: How was it making this record compared to the last one?
SM: With the last album The Jicks made, I thought it was cool that the recording style was this expensive studio recording and had a kind of a light brown sound or something. This time I just wanted to be more thrust in your face sound like speaker sound, closer microphone and a little trashier.
DRE: You seem to be putting out an album every couple of years pretty much.
SM: Yeah, they put you on a treadmill when you sign for Matador. It just goes around slowly like a really slow Ferris wheel and then your number comes up and youre allowed to put out a record.
DRE: And are you going to put out another one in another couple of years or are you taking a break?
SM: I could do it every year. But Im already in peoples face up for 14 years and so theres enough. Its just like if youre playing a pick-up basketball game you shouldnt just like shoot three pointers every time, especially if your field goal percentage is less than 50 percent. So we like to share the ball.
DRE: Have you gotten past the point where your music is as personal as it once was and now youre just experimenting?
SM: Not necessarily. There are some lyrics on this record that are pretty sincere and somewhat deep. But I think the general tone for me is to take a stab at things that are within my reach. Like I wont fight with you if youre outside my punching range and if you are, watch out! [laughs]
I did this record in my house and I had no one there. The band was around on some of the songs, but I was just fooling around and seeing how the vocals would be if I tried this and that. It was pretty cool and fun way to work.
DRE: Is the house studio in Portland really nice?
SM: I always had some pretty fancy recording equipment but I never had time to use it. Ive always tried to go to different places and work with different people just to take chances and not repeat myself with environments and extra bodies, like engineers [laughs]. I hadnt played that card yet, that work at your house at your own pace card and I thought I could do that this time. I wont do it again but it was pretty fun.
DRE: How did it change things exactly?
SM: It changed things a lot because if you go to a studio youre more prepared and you plan out things. With this I could really think on my feet. For this I just worked on each song until it was almost done then I would move on.
DRE: This is an official Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks album?
SM: Its hard to say. They played on three of the songs. We are a band. I wouldnt be able to do this without the drummer and the bass player so their photos are in there. But I didnt really ask all of the time should we do this. It was more of a solo thing but I guess half and half. Some of the better songs, the long one called No More Shoes and this one called It Kills and Mama are band songs that we rehearsed and played live well before I recorded the record and most of the rest I kind of just threw down on tape with just the help of the drummer.
DRE: Who are the naked girls on the inside of the album?
SM: Theyre just hot chicks from a 70s porn magazine that I bought on 82nd Street in Portland. Its from this really lonely shop. In Portland they have this one place called Fantasies right downtown and they have things for dudes to go and get blowjobs and stuff. But this one is really gross; its probably where you go if you dont want to be seen.
So I just went down and this dude had all these magazines that he was selling for like $2. The girls in it look sort of like Janis Joplin hippie chicks. They look kind of skanky for one of the better adjectives.
DRE: What kind of people show up for your shows now?
SM: Its hard to say. I think the farther you get away from media centers or where people fancy themselves to be hip or something the more its going to be just Pavement fans. When we play in LA or NY or Portland, there are new fans.
DRE: On this next tour are you playing with the same people that are on the record?
SM: Yeah, were solid.
DRE: Are you going overseas at all?
SM: Maybe in September
DRE: What do you do when youre not doing the music?
SM: Mostly recreation. I play basketball, softball. We go hiking and play darts.
DRE: Do you collect anything?
SM: I collect records.
DRE: New stuff or do you go looking for old stuff?
SM: I go looking for old stuff.
DRE: Did you get anything good lately?
SM: Sometimes, Portlands got some good places. I find shit all of the time in Portland. It makes me happy for a week.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Check out the official site for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hey Steve, how are you doing?
Stephen Malkmus: Good. Where are you?
DRE: Im in Manhattan.
Whats going on today? Youre just, youre just doing interviews, I think, right?
SM: Yea. Im just chilling in an apartment doing interviews. SuicideGirls is from Portland, right?
DRE: It started there.
SM: Thats where I live mainly.
DRE: Are you a fan of SuicideGirls?
SM: Ive looked on it before but I dont have a password.
DRE: Well get you one.
Hey, do I hear a baby?
SM: Yeah shes back there crying.
DRE: Oh, I didnt actually know you had kids.
SM: I have one.
DRE: Hows that going?
SM: Pretty good. Shes like freshly hatched. 11 weeks.
DRE: Oh shes really new.
SM: Yeah, shes cool. She doesnt seem to be fussy.
DRE: Does she like your old stuff better?
SM: She doesnt like indie rock. She doesnt like metal. She likes just mellow singer/songwriter, softer stuff.
DRE: Oh yeah?
SM: That can change. People tell me that I may have to get these baby music CDs and stuff.
DRE: Would you get her like Wiggles?
SM: I would. Ill get her whatever she wants.
DRE: They dont know what they want.
SM: Well they have the baby know-it-all moms. Theyre always giving you advice about what youre going to need.
DRE: Its funny; my sister has a pretty new baby. We were playing the Wiggles in the car for my sisters daughter and obviously between these songs theres a break, and during the break she goes Wiggles? Like, where did the music go?
SM: Thats pretty funny
DRE: Do you travel with her a lot?
SM: Well she came here with us to New York. But shes not going to come with me on the tour. Im touring in June so its back to the good old fashioned SuicideGirl decadence.
DRE: When I put your album in my computer I happened to have the volume up really loud and that first track was really loud!
SM: Yeah, its in your face.
DRE: What made you decide to do that?
SM: I just wanted to tear-it-up a little bit. Not be all soft and touchy feely or something because, thats not the sound of young Portland, as far as Im concerned or the sound of Old Steve. Its time to shred a little bit.
DRE: How was it making this record compared to the last one?
SM: With the last album The Jicks made, I thought it was cool that the recording style was this expensive studio recording and had a kind of a light brown sound or something. This time I just wanted to be more thrust in your face sound like speaker sound, closer microphone and a little trashier.
DRE: You seem to be putting out an album every couple of years pretty much.
SM: Yeah, they put you on a treadmill when you sign for Matador. It just goes around slowly like a really slow Ferris wheel and then your number comes up and youre allowed to put out a record.
DRE: And are you going to put out another one in another couple of years or are you taking a break?
SM: I could do it every year. But Im already in peoples face up for 14 years and so theres enough. Its just like if youre playing a pick-up basketball game you shouldnt just like shoot three pointers every time, especially if your field goal percentage is less than 50 percent. So we like to share the ball.
DRE: Have you gotten past the point where your music is as personal as it once was and now youre just experimenting?
SM: Not necessarily. There are some lyrics on this record that are pretty sincere and somewhat deep. But I think the general tone for me is to take a stab at things that are within my reach. Like I wont fight with you if youre outside my punching range and if you are, watch out! [laughs]
I did this record in my house and I had no one there. The band was around on some of the songs, but I was just fooling around and seeing how the vocals would be if I tried this and that. It was pretty cool and fun way to work.
DRE: Is the house studio in Portland really nice?
SM: I always had some pretty fancy recording equipment but I never had time to use it. Ive always tried to go to different places and work with different people just to take chances and not repeat myself with environments and extra bodies, like engineers [laughs]. I hadnt played that card yet, that work at your house at your own pace card and I thought I could do that this time. I wont do it again but it was pretty fun.
DRE: How did it change things exactly?
SM: It changed things a lot because if you go to a studio youre more prepared and you plan out things. With this I could really think on my feet. For this I just worked on each song until it was almost done then I would move on.
DRE: This is an official Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks album?
SM: Its hard to say. They played on three of the songs. We are a band. I wouldnt be able to do this without the drummer and the bass player so their photos are in there. But I didnt really ask all of the time should we do this. It was more of a solo thing but I guess half and half. Some of the better songs, the long one called No More Shoes and this one called It Kills and Mama are band songs that we rehearsed and played live well before I recorded the record and most of the rest I kind of just threw down on tape with just the help of the drummer.
DRE: Who are the naked girls on the inside of the album?
SM: Theyre just hot chicks from a 70s porn magazine that I bought on 82nd Street in Portland. Its from this really lonely shop. In Portland they have this one place called Fantasies right downtown and they have things for dudes to go and get blowjobs and stuff. But this one is really gross; its probably where you go if you dont want to be seen.
So I just went down and this dude had all these magazines that he was selling for like $2. The girls in it look sort of like Janis Joplin hippie chicks. They look kind of skanky for one of the better adjectives.
DRE: What kind of people show up for your shows now?
SM: Its hard to say. I think the farther you get away from media centers or where people fancy themselves to be hip or something the more its going to be just Pavement fans. When we play in LA or NY or Portland, there are new fans.
DRE: On this next tour are you playing with the same people that are on the record?
SM: Yeah, were solid.
DRE: Are you going overseas at all?
SM: Maybe in September
DRE: What do you do when youre not doing the music?
SM: Mostly recreation. I play basketball, softball. We go hiking and play darts.
DRE: Do you collect anything?
SM: I collect records.
DRE: New stuff or do you go looking for old stuff?
SM: I go looking for old stuff.
DRE: Did you get anything good lately?
SM: Sometimes, Portlands got some good places. I find shit all of the time in Portland. It makes me happy for a week.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 8 of 8 COMMENTS
kubrick5 said:
I never heard of the band Pavement until two days ago when I was reading about Isaac Brock (lead singer of Modest Mouse). He was talking about CDs that changed his life, one of them was a Pavement CD. I checked it out after reading about it. I liked what I heard soundclips. Plan on getting the CD sometime.
Awesome I grew up listening to Pavement, so I'm biased, but the first three full length lps are essential.
mr_gosh said:
Awesome I grew up listening to Pavement, so I'm biased, but the first three full length lps are essential.
Agreed, though all the LPs are worth getting. I have been recollecting the LPs with the 10 year re-issues of Slanted and Enchanted, and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Though i do still have my originals.
Now all we need is an interview with Preston School of Industry.