Hugh T. Brooks

Worn couches and wooden chairs surround a makeshift stage in Georgetown University’s Midnight Mug. Malachi Quarles, a tall, lanky man with twisted hair that falls to his shoulders, twangs an Ibanez bass stylized with googly eyes, singing sweet tunes from his deep repertoire. In between beaming smiles, Quarles, dressed in green cargo pants and a long-sleeve polo patterned like a Persian rug, compliments and jokes with the growing audience. 

“Y’all are all scrumptious. Y’all are adorable,” says Quarles through a cheeky smile, “This is gonna be on PBS so please don’t curse or anything like that.”

In October, Quarles, who goes by his stage name (and middle name), Hughlander, released the debut album, Dusty Orange. Just like its artist, the project is smooth and laid back but knows when to excite and amplify. It contains a mixture of soul, psychedelic rock, and hip-hop, drawing on influences such as Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, and Tyler, the Creator. Hughlander’s signature drums and bass echo throughout each track but one style does not dominate. Songs such as “Stardust” and “House party” are upbeat dance tunes, while “Crusty Couch” and “Lava Lamp” make you want to close your eyes and sway. In complete, however, Dusty Orange is just meant for relaxation and good vibes. 

“The process for Dusty Orange was really just me making stuff in my bedroom and that’s how I wanted people to listen to it,” said Quarles, “I wanted somebody listening to it to just be sitting on their couch smoking or whatever just chilling.”

The album is, in fact, representative of Malachi Quarles not only as a musician, but also as a friend, a teammate, and a human being. The 20-year-old artist carries himself with a distinct calmness, humility, and charm that seems genuinely excited to be himself. Each conversation, activity, and smile is full of zest and authenticity. This is no easy feat, given that this man, who will take every opportunity to hug or high-five you, creates his own music, runs Division I track, and designs his own clothing. Quarles’ unique aura, however, is not just a result of talent and charisma. It stems from a driven, passionate and ambitious mindset that pushes him to be the best he can be. He admits, however, that it can be an obstacle to enjoying the very successes he works to achieve. 

Malachi Quarles was born in Frankfort, KY, but moved to Indianapolis, IN, right before high-school. His father, Ricky, and mother, Nancy, were both musicians and installed in him an early interest in music. At Franklin Central High School, Quarles played percussion for both the marching and concert bands as he developed his own skill.

“I’ve been in concert band since sixth grade but I was always a percussionist,” said Quarles. I saw Drumline with Nick Cannon in it and I was like I wanna do that,.  

His experience with the band, however, was not all positive. The racist culture of Indiana deterred him from these school experiences. Hughlander said one white student burst into the band room one day hurling slurs. He quit soon after.

After losing his creative outlet, Quarles invested time into other activities such as track and field. His work paid off by senior year, when he won the Indiana state championship in hurdles and acquired a Division I scholarship to Georgetown University. Just like his creativity, Quarles’ athletic ability stems from a drive to push himself, to challenge himself, relentlessly.

“I think for a lot of people track is an escape, for me it’s not an escape,” said Quarles, “Track is letting that dog out of the cage.” 

Music did not completely disappear from Quarles’ life, however. The young musician had been exploring on Garageband since the fifth grade and continued to experiment when his best friend, Alexio DeLoso, downloaded a bootleg version of the production software FL Studio. DeLoso also began to show Quales artists such as Tyler, The Creator, Steve Lacy, and Mac DeMarco that soon became inspirations. 

“We were making random songs, downloading youtube beats and just rapping over them,” said Quarles, “Up to like the end of senior year it was just for fun.”

Late in high school, Quarles began to take music much more seriously. He bought himself his signature bass guitar–an wood-grain Ibanez stylized with googly eyes–as a reward for winning state in track; he re-downloaded Garageband onto a hand-me-down iPhone 6; and released the collaborative EP maep with DeLoso. Even with limited resources, Hughlander knew he wanted to create music. So, he found a way.

“I didn’t have teachers. I don’t have anybody teaching me anything. It’s just a drive for it,” said Quarles.“If you’re gonna do something, be the best at it.”

That summer, Quarles packed his bags and moved from Indiana to D.C., beginning his university experience. At Georgetown, Quarles felt the weight of a heavy course load, hectic track schedule, and swelling confusion about his passions. He always thought he wanted to study government, but his love for music just kept getting stronger and stronger.  Quarles found himself in a dark place, searching for a way to satisfy that drive: a deep desire to create and achieve.

“Where I come from, you have to do something that’s stable, something that’s gonna get you money,” said Quarles. “I spent six years thinking that I’m gonna be a politician, I’m gonna be a lawyer. Then I get here and my eyes are open and I don’t know how to take it in.”

By Spring of freshman year, however, the fog began to lift. Quarles accepted music as his calling; he completed one semester of difficult classes; and, suddenly, after struggling all track season, he got third in a Big East race. His drive once again satisfied, the self-described ‘weird kid’ from Indiana was ready to take over.

“As long as [I am] mentally cool and stable and happy with who [I am]…I’m always gonna give 110% to whatever I’m doing,” said Quarles. “I have that competitive nature, I have that drive. So that’s not gonna change.”

But then, just as he was hitting his stride, Quarles was sent home amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. He found himself back in Indiana, cooped up inside his house, struggling to watch racial tensions explode across the nation. Though his heart was overwhelmed, Quarles’ creative personality refused to stand idly by. He began making shirts with the words, “Mucho Luvo,” (a favorite Quarles catch phrase) and, “Created by Collard Greens,” to raise money for the NAACP. Ironing each print by hand, Hughlander raised around $2,000 in a month.

“I wanted that to be an outlet for the problems that I was seeing. During that summer I was scared to leave my house,” said Quarles. “It was COVID on top of I can’t go outside because I’m a black man who could get killed.”

This small venture blossomed throughout quarantine, and Quarles has now designed a handful of clothing items that he sells on his website. He is also working on a collaboration with another student, Ethan Clark (@theartofcharles_), that is highly anticipated. 

Quarles, never satisfied, is currently looking to expand his musical prowess. He recently bought himself a guitar, though he insists he is still “trash” at the instrument, and he is planning to release another project in the near future. In addition, he gained valuable experience at Hear No Evil Recording Studio last summer, learning from producers, meeting professional artists, and networking with the industry’s top talent. 

“I don’t have to be a huge recording artist,” said Quarles. “If I am like the CEO of Sony or picking songs for shows and movies or writing scores for films or whatever, I would love that.”

No matter what the future holds, Hughlander, right now, is enjoying himself. He’s been performing more and more with the relaxation of COVID restrictions, experimenting with new sounds and methodologies, and maintaining his incredibly creative spirit. This is Malachi Hughlander Quarles: a man who trusts his talent, refuses to let good ideas slip through the cracks, and puts his all into every action he takes, simply because he expects greatness from everything he does.

“I have all these ideas, and I’m not a one-trick pony,” said Quarles. “I’m not gonna just do music; I’m not just gonna do track; I’m not just gonna just explore the business side. I’m gonna do all of it, and I’m gonna be good at it.”

Flash to Songbyrd Music House in Northeast D.C., Hughlander is now jumping back and forth on a raised stage, dancing and throwing his limbs in every direction. Wearing his self-designed Dusty Orange merchandise and signature Russian Ushanka hat, Hughlander hypes up the audience, electrifies the venue, and rattles off encouraging lyrics from his song, “Stardust.” 

“Happy! All the time/it’s not possible/it’s not possible/but what you can do/is live your life/so get up and dance/the best you can.”

Hughlander performing at Songbyrd, photo taken by @just__factss