The SPIN Interview: Stephen Malkmus

Stephen Malkmus / Photographed for Spin in Portland, Oregon, by John Clark

When did you start to believe you could make a long-term career out of playing?
Pavement was just kind of a simulated band -- we didn't play shows, really -- it was just for our entertainment. When Slanted and Enchanted got a lot of press, we did a real tour with real venues, and then thought, "Yeah, we can treat this like a real thing." There's an indie touring industry that was growing up at that time -- new clubs in urban centers, bigger guarantees for the bands. People who want to live off their bands today have to tour, because the record sales aren't that great, unfortunately, and you can't rely on a car commercial -- you probably only get one or two in your life. But now, my new band with Janet and Joanna is a live thing, and it's probably better live than it is on record, in a way. The records aren't as bad as Grateful Dead records, but we've become a more in-the-moment thing as we're getting older. When you're younger, you really want to have your documents, you want to make your statement. And now the live thing is the moment and the moments are going away soon, so you want those.

With the Jicks, you've started playing in much more of a guitar-hero way.
I probably feel like, with my limited vocal range and limited topics that I'm even interested in singing about, it's logical that I'd rather just get to the instrumental part. I like singing and I like melodies and stuff, and in concert I like to let it go and feel the singing, but in practice you don't really want to do that over and over again. With guitar, there's always something to discover.

Do you write any poetry or words that don't go with music?
Not really. I wish I did. I'm the kind of person who sees something or thinks of something and wishes they had something to write it down with, and then forgets. But that could be a problem of having a child; I did more of that when I was younger. It gets to the point where there's so much that's been said. I'm just not that much into words lately.

There's a theme of domesticity in your lyrics, all the way back to the early records, where you sing about parents and sons. Now titles like "Elmo Delmo" and "Wicked Wanda" sound like they could be for children's songs. Have you always wanted to settle down and have a family?
I don't think so. Maybe subconsciously, but I didn't see myself as a family man. That stuff just comes fast as you get older. If you get in a serious relationship, you decide to do it, or decide "We don't wanna have kids. Let's travel the world." But for me, it was part of getting serious.

How does being a parent now affect the kind of music you make?
I guess it's less likely I'd make a really dirty song, but maybe I wouldn't do that anyway. There's less time, but more focused, concentrated time. You can't just pick up the guitar for a couple of hours and think, "Hey, that's good. I'll remember that." For other people who are very organized, it's probably fine.

What is your day-to-day life like when you're not recording or touring?
I spend a lot of time here, just looking after the kids. It's pretty domestic, basically. I play darts once a week at the Triple Nickel. Pavement doesn't have a manager, so there's business stuff -- I did a Hyundai ad in Korea, so you have to talk to people, send invoices…