Photograph: Jay Muhlin

What are you up to?
Shoppin’ for my girl. She’s recording right now.

Recording what?
An album. It’s bluesy, folky music with classical piano mixed in. Her name is Meggie Sutherland. I’m playin’ drums for her—half my band moved back to Oklahoma.

Is that where you got your charming twang?
Yup.

Why are you in a three-piece suit?
Lookin’ for jobs. It’s tough. I dropped outta school for a band, and it took comin’ here to realize what a ridiculous dream that was.

What kind of work are you looking for?
Anything. I’d be a trash man if I could get hired. I did body piercing back in Oklahoma.
[Editor’s note: 60, The number of tunes currently nominated for Oklahoma’s official state song, including Hanson’s “MMMBop.”

Have you pierced all kinds of crazy body parts?
Everythin’. All the genital stuff—foreskins and hood piercings. I did it to myself. It sends a high-voltage, squealing pain through you.

That’s hard-core. Wait, do your fingers say GOD’S LOVE?
Yeah. Keeps me acting like a good boy. I need reminders—that’s what all my tatts are for.

Like the guy in Memento. Do you have, like, PUT ON SHIRT backward across your chest?
[Laughs] No, but I liked that movie. I went through drug addictions and got tattoos to remind me to stay away. And I grew up next to the train tracks, so I have a train on my arm.

Ooh, did you squish pennies?
All the time. And set off firecrackers.

And go cow tipping?
[Laughs] Nah. I’m not that close to my redneck roots.

More thoughts from Malcolm

“Being tattooed and pierced really doesn’t help on the job front. I’m a shy, nice person, but I guess my appearance is sketchy.”

“I’m reading Peter Pan and ‘The Oz Chronicles.’ I’m a child in a young man’s body, I guess. I wish I could fly. That’s probably my biggest wish.”

“I got MEGGIE SUE tattooed on my chest. We’re engaged and all that good stuff. I proposed eight months ago—I wanted to plan it but I got impatient, so the ring’s on hold till I get a job. Until I met her, I hadn’t really grasped what real love is. I’d never respected a woman that much before.”

—Kate Lowenstein

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