On what’s becoming a bit of a revolving door with the Pixies, front-man Black Francis spoke on both the recently departed and newly arriving bassists in his band in a recent interview.

Photo Credit: Marv Watson

Ready for a crash course in the Pixies line-up? Here we go. Original member Kim Deal departed back in June, with her contributions to the in-progress LP being scrapped at her request, at which point PJ Harvey bassist Simon “Ding” was brought in to fill.

Looking for a more permanent solution, the Pixies then hired Kim Shattuck, which would only go on to last for three months. No one event has been singled out as the catalyst for her leaving, although Shattuck was able to provide some insight:

I was surprised. Everything had gone well, the reviews were all good and the fans were super-nice about everything. They were like, ‘We love you, New Kim!’ We said goodbye at the airport and the following morning the manager called me and said: ‘The band has made the decision to go with another bass player.’ I was shocked…
I get the feeling they’re more introverted people than I am. Nobody really talked about deep issues, at least out loud. There was a show at the Mayan in Los Angeles where I got overly enthusiastic and jumped into the crowd, and I know they weren’t thrilled about that. When I got offstage the manager told me not to do that again. I said, ‘Really, for my own safety?’ And he said, ‘No, because the Pixies don’t do that.’

Which brings us to today, with the brand bringing in Paz Lenchantin who’s previously worked with ZWAN, A Perfect Circle, with appearances on albums by Queens of the Stone Age and Jenny Lewis. Along with her prowess as a singer, she’s also accomplished on violin, guitar, and piano.

Will Paz be able to bring some much-needed stability to the Pixies who may still be reeling from the void left by a core members? Let’s hope.