Stephen Malkmus

“I always felt that I was a writer, and that was my, quote, 'gift,' and the music was just a way to get that out.”

“I'm just a person who is interested in the subtext of things. I'm not a paranoid person, but I am a person who is interested in the subtext.”

“Success is a funny thing. You can be successful in your own mind and not in the eyes of the world.”

“Writing a song is a way of isolating a moment, of trying to pin it down, and it can be a way of dealing with things you can't really verbalize.”

“There's an element of silliness in what I do. It's not high art.”

“I don't think I'm a very good guitar player. I'm not a virtuoso.”

“In the '90s, there was a real feeling of 'we're in this together.' In the indie-rock world, there was a sense of community.”

“Pavement was a product of its time. It couldn't exist now in the same way.”

“The music industry is a strange beast. It's a mix of art and commerce.”

“I'm just trying to make music that I would want to listen to.”

“I try to make things as normal as possible for myself.”

“I'm not trying to be a nostalgic act. I'm trying to be a current act.”

“The internet has changed everything. It's a double-edged sword for musicians.”

“I'm not a political person in my music. I try to stay away from that.”

“I don't really look back too much. I'm always looking forward.”