Welp, it’s finally happening. Stephen Malkmus, king of indie rock, slacker dad of the century, is finally getting a gut. It’s only a small belly, he clarifies, but nevertheless—Father Time comes for us all. The frontman of Pavement, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, and The Hard Quartet is calling us from the back of a tour bus stationed outside Union Transfer in Philly, where the Quartet will be performing cuts from their stellar self-titled 2024 debut. From there, they’ll head to Brooklyn, where Malkmus will have a homecoming of sorts, having recently snagged an apartment with his partner in the Chinatown neighborhood of Manhattan. Between the gut, the New York digs, permanent residence in Chicago after almost two decades in Portland, and life on a bus, things are still changing for Malkmus as he quietly approaches retirement age.
“I’m more used to taking a couple of vans, one with gear, one with bodies of the band, and then driving four hours each day, maybe finding something weird to eat and listening to music together in a communal way or zoning out,” he explains. Back then, before gigs, he would roam around cities looking for cheap barbecue or something else to quell his stomach. Now? He hangs out on the bus, looking for a nearby coffee shop and something light to coat his gut before indulging in a small amount of alcohol; before each gig, he’ll take a shot of tequila or whiskey, something to quiet the nerves and keep the cobwebs from settling.
This boozy treat aside, Malkmus’ diet is pretty straightforward. He and his partner do a lot of cooking; his kids love carbonara, he loves turning roasted chicken dinners into taco lunches. Snacks are chips or leftovers, though he doesn’t always indulge. Sparkling waters are procured by the dozens, and though he may be navigating the New York grocery-store experience more than ever before, nothing can get in the way of La Croix diehards getting their fix. (My wife and I routinely put away at least a dozen a week, turning the heavy lift up four flights of stairs into a fitness competition.)
Malkmus is one of the easiest guys to talk to, the perfect blend of self-deprecating, astute, and endlessly funny. GQ caught up with the rock legend to chat about The Hard Quartet, Alex Ross Perry’s buzzy meta-documentary Pavements, and, of course, how he maintains that slim frame.
GQ: How’s the tour going so far?
Stephen Malkmus: It’s young. It’s young and vibrant. College-aged, just a freshman. It’s going fine.
So you’re still early enough in this run that it’s not automatic?
Yeah, there’s always a little bit of ‘What did I get myself into?,’ at least for me, and I think everyone feels that way, unless you’re a dedicated road dog or something. I’m with new people and their friends and stuff. We share some mutuals, but there are different people backstage and stuff. It’s kind of interesting.