Pixies on the virtues of staying vital
Boston's alternative trailblazers on their first new music in 20 years, and why they don't want to be a nostalgia band.
Pixies know they can pack venues with their time-honoured tunes alone. Albums like Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa, and Doolittle made them a mainstay in the mid-1980s, and brought fans back out in droves when they reunited in 2004.
But Boston's alternative trailblazers weren't satisfied resting on their laurels. This last year saw the release of their first new music in 20 years, but also the departure of founding bass player Kim Deal.
"We were so lucky to have toured so far on this reunion," says drummer David Lovering. "But we needed to do something new."
"There is that fear of this disappearing," adds guitarist Joey Santiago. "And that drives you."
Pixies join Jian to talk about forging ahead without their longtime bandmate, why they don't want to be a so-called nostalgia band, and the dynamism that bridges the decades. They also treat us to two fresh tracks.