Pixies

The Pixies are back with their sixth studio album, "Head Carrier" to be released on September 30th via PIAS. The first official single out now from the collection is called "Classic Masher." This will be the first album with Pixies new full-time bassist Paz Lenchantin, following the departure of Kim Deal in 2013 and later Kim Shattuck.

Formed in 1986 in Boston, MA, the Pixies' original lineup consisted of Frank Black (a.k.a. Black Francis), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass, backing vocals) and David Lovering (drums). The band disbanded in 1993, but reunited in 2004. Deal left in 2013 and was replaced briefly by Kim Shattuck before Paz Lenchantin joined for the band's 2014 tour, and has remained in the lineup since. Their popularity grew in the years following their break-up, leading to sold-out world tours following their reunion in 2004. Over the past 30 years, the Pixies have released five full-length studio albums; "Surfer Rosa" (1988), "Doolittle" (1989), "Bossanova" (1990), "Trompe Le Monde" (1991) and "Indie Cindy" (2014).

The genesis of "Head Carrier" began even as "Indie Cindy" was being made - a direct consequence of Kim Deal's decision to quit the band in June 2013 during a recording session at Rockfield Studios in Wales. "So we knew we had to make another one, even before we finished 'Indie Cindy,'" says Black Francis. "That one by definition had turned into this transitional moment. We tried to make that transitional moment as good as we could, but no matter how great we potentially could make it, we knew it would still beg the question: what's your new paradigm? It still remained transitional. Instead of becoming defining, it became transitional."

At their manager's suggestion, in September 2015 the Pixies met Tom Dalgety in Toronto, where the band were recording demos. The English producer of Royal Blood's breakthrough debut, Dalgety's other credits include such noted volume dealers as Killing Joke and Opeth. But according to Black Francis, the specifics of his track record mattered less than whether he was agreeable company for a meal.

Black Francis noted, "We hired Tom over dinner. We liked him. We liked his personality. And we knew that he had produced records before. So it's not like - 'Does this guy know what he's doing?' 'I dunno, whatever...' He's produced some records! Yeah, he knows what he's doing! Everyone understands what the task is at hand. But - do you like the person? Can you sit down and have dinner with them? Ah, I like this person. I think we can make a record."

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