Jim E. Brown is the alter-ego of Max Margulies, a Philadelphia-born musician and filmmaker, and key member of the musical-comedy & journalist collective SHY BOYZ. I spoke with Margulies in-character at a recent Jim E. Brown show, to discuss the 19-year old pop sensation’s personal life, art and existentialism.

His distain for himself, other people and his surroundings is freely expressed. His answers to the most existential questions I ask are, ironically, the shortest. He also stubbornly remains in character when I address him with his real name, or that of his old persona, Billy Cardigan, who’s catchphrase was asking other musicians to compare themselves to Led Zeppelin.

Mid-interview, a drunk fanatic wanders into the venue’s green room, crashing the interview and gifting him some drinks. He asks for photos, and then tells the supposed pop sensation about his father’s drunken escapades on the A27. Jim’s response? “They really need to amend the driving laws here. I think the legal alcohol limit should be far higher - it is discriminatory towards alcoholics, as we drive safer when drunk.”

“There’s a lot of weird people at me gigs,” are the first words out of his mouth when the intruder finally leaves.

How’ve you been enjoying Brighton?

“It’s quite shit, it’s a really disgusting town. I dislike it immensely. I had some rectal bleeding this morning, some indigestion, so I purchased some Anusol. I’ve been using it religiously for months. I don’t use regular toilet roll, anymore. It’s on a daily basis, the rectal bleeding.”

Just 5 minutes spent without alcohol brings you withdrawal symptoms - what’s your earliest memory of alcohol?

“My brother, Mark F. Brown, who is now deceased - he died of rabies - he introduced me to wine, aged 5, so I’ve been an alcoholic since aged 5. My first tipple was red wine. And I do drink a glass of red wine when I wake up each morning.”

You’ve listed Coldplay, Kraftwerk and the American band Phish as some of your influences. What draws you to those artists?

“Well, I quite like Phish because their music is very boring, so I don’t have to really pay attention to it, like you would with other bands. Coldplay is quite nice, just nice music, really. Most bands sing about love, Kraftwerk seems more about portraying trains and vitamins and bicycles, things like that.”

What are your first memories of music?

“I don’t have any, really. I don’t really like music. Those are my favourite bands but I don’t really listen to them. Music is not something that interests me very much.”

Your songwriting process consists of paying people in Bangladesh to lay down beats for you, which you then get pissed and improvise over. Are the Bangladeshi producers aware they’re shaping the Jim E. Brown sound?

“I don’t know, really. I was using a website called fiverr.com, and I would pay these Bangladeshi children to write it. That’s what I said, but it were actually a lie. I wrote it me self, I was just embarrassed because I thought it was shit, so I wanted to put the blame on others. I’d like to confess, because I’m deeply ashamed of it. I wouldn’t have had the fiver to pay these children, because I’ve written over 150 songs. That’s over 500 quid, isn’t it? Yeah, I wouldn’t have had that.”

Can we expect a fourth installment of your autobiographical book anthology Brown on Brown?

“Well, no, but that’s only for capitalistic reasons, which is that each of the books is self-contained. I’m working on a new one - the working title is Grigg’s Cage. I was feeling rather peckish, and I went to a Gregg’s establishment in Manchester. Well, it was not, in fact, a Gregg’s, it was the home of a man called Grigg. But I was pissed so I just thought it was a Gregg’s. He did have sausage rolls in a bucket, which he fed me. He led me into his basement with sausage rolls. And there he locked me in a cage, where I lived for several years, [where] we had a kind of weird, toxic, co-dependant relationship.”

You’ve spoken lots about your older brother Mark F. Brown who died aged 21 after contracting rabies from a squirrel. How has this shaped your music and the way you experience grief?

“I don’t know. I don’t think it has, really. I do miss my brother, because I respect him for his values. Most people, when they’re bitten by wild animals, they will get a rabies vaccination to prevent death, but my brother Mark F. Brown was so opposed to vaccination that he refused the rabies vaccine when the squirrel bit him. So I do respect him for his values. Even though I’d prefer he were alive, he died for what he believed in.”

The last time you were in Brighton, you had hoped to smoke some crack. Have you had any luck this time?

“I’ve not smoked any crack here, but I’ve been smoking crack regularly in the various countries I’ve been in. Belgium: some nice alley ways, there, just to have a nice suckle of crack. It’s a nice aperitif for getting pissed… Do you smoke much crack?”

What is the meaning of life?

“Life has no meaning, but I’m not certain of anything, really. I’m just rather intoxicated most of the time. I don’t like to imbue meanings into things, I think that can make experiences more painful than they already are. I like to believe that there is no meaning to life. Human life is like being some weird animal in the wild, who just gets eaten by a big animal, like how a dinosaur would eat a little rabbit… did they live at the same time?”

Would you say you’re religious?

“No, not really, I just can’t be fucked, mate. It’s a lot of work. I’m not opposed to it really but it just seems a bit weird.”

You say you’re going to die of a stroke, and that your ideal way to go out would be to drown in melted cheese or butter. Do you fear death?

“Well, I’m afraid of everything, so yes, I’m afraid of death.. and rats… and mice… and people. Yeah I’m a rather fearful person.”

Do you think you’re better or worse than Led Zeppelin?

“I’ve not listened to them much but I think they’re quite shit, from what I’ve heard. I really dislike my own music… maybe I am better, what do you think?”

I think you should have faith in yourself.

“Oh, right, so yes, I am much better than Led Zeppelin. The thing is, with Led Zeppelin, they were hot guys, skinny blokes, real rockstar types, so they have an advantage on me in that department. It’s a tough question, really.”

What role does persona play in your art, and which parts of Max Margulies exist in Jim E. Brown and Billy Cardigan?

“I don’t understand the question. Who’s that? Is he a fat fuck?”