Photo Credit: Alex De Corte, PR.

Kim Deal’s fingerprints are on some of the most essential rock of the last forty years. Her bass playing and vocals were the soul of the Pixies, while her writing, guitar work, and production came to the fore leading The Breeders. Now we’ve got what we’ve never had before, a solo album.

As Deal explained in our conversation, all of her favorite music came from bands, so doing a solo project was never something she had in mind. However, as circumstances unfolded and the appeal of an alter ego like Tammy (and the Amps) ebbed, she warmed to the notion.

Over a period of years, Deal crafted an album worthy of a Kim Deal billing: Nobody Loves You More. For this session, she recorded a few songs at Electric Lady Studios in the West Village. Deal felt she might not necessarily enjoy the best reputation at the house that Jimi built as she was less than an ideal client during a hazy stretch of the late 90s when she bounced around a handful of New York studios.

She also touched upon her relationship with her mom, which spurred the poignant session closer, “Are You Mine?” and spoke of her friendship with the late Steve Albini, whose last work at his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago was for Nobody Loves You More.

Deal also explained how she came around to featuring strings and brass on the new LP, and how the spiffy album cover was inspired by Bas Jan Ader, the Dutch performance artist.

Hear 3 new songs from Nobody Loves You More, along with the chat HERE.

When I did an interview with the four members of the Pixies in 2019, new bass player Paz Lenchantin had great things to say about Kim.

Photo Credit: Gus Philippas

From 1986 to 1993, the body of work created by the original Pixies — the Boston-based quartet of singer/guitarist Black Francis, drummer David Lovering, guitarist Joey Santiago and bassist/vocalist Kim Deal — was as distinctive, exciting, and influential as any rock band of that era.

After years of playing satisfying reunion shows, Deal bailed out while the group was recording a comeback album, 2014’s Indie Cindy. Eventually Paz Lenchantin, who had played with A Perfect Circle and Queens of the Stone Age, settled into Deal’s old role and made her studio debut on 2016’s Head Carrier.

Now comes Beneath the Eyrie, and Lenchantin is making writing contributions as well as helping to define a new era with her singing and playing.

In a WFUV Live session in Studio A, Pixies serve up a pair of new tunes,”Catfish Kate” and “Death Horizon,” along with a 30-year-old nugget, “Wave of Mutilation.” They also spoke with me for a full-band interview.

See the performances and hear the interview here.

The only sensible response to The Pixies frequent touring since 2004 is to gluttonously consume all the shows it is possible to attend!  The quartet with roots at Umass Amherst added a sequel to their Cap show of 2014 last night and followed up on the three New York shows they roared through in May.  

The presentation has been upgraded with a brand new, sleek, industrial stage set designed by the band’s longtime production manager Simon Foster and lighting designer Myles Mangino.  Even if the new configuration had done nothing else but eliminate the blinding light that they’ve been throwing at the audience, it would have been a win.  However, the simple elegant design utilizing special pods behind the band that house all the lighting maintained the dramatic and intense backlit effect while alleviating the negative aspects suffered by squinty fans of recent years.

The setlist continues to feature the group’s most memorable material from the initial late eighties through early nineties era while cherry picking the pair of post-reunion discs.  The second of these – in case you missed it, Head Carrier, came out last fall and was the first to feature Paz Lenchantin who was given a vote of confidence last year when she gained official full-time membership in The Pixies.

Sunflower Bean opened up the show last night and didn’t waste the opportunity to gain some new fans.  It’s a pleasure to continue to monitor the New York trio who I had a chance to speak to at SXSW last year.  HERE is a flashback to that conversation and performance in an intimate Austin venue.

The last time The Pixies hit the Capitol Theatre was, like last night, also a Sunday evening and it was only the fourth show for the then new bass player Paz.  Charles, Joey, and David gave me a chat before that show and I was able to shoot some video of the performance.  The highlights make up the video below. 

The Pixies had nothing but good things to say about their new bass player Paz Lenchantin and the show left nothing to be desired.