Paz Lenchantin of the Pixies Talks About ‘Head Carrier,’ Kim Deal, and Touring North America

Paz Lenchantin might be the newest member of the Pixies, but she’s definitely not new to the music industry. The bassist, vocalist, and violinist who has also performed with A Perfect Circle and Queens of the Stone Age, to name a couple, is becoming a favorite in her own right. Entertainment Voice spoke with Paz about her unexpected start with the Pixies, why she didn’t “replace” the band’s previous bassist Kim Deal, and what we can expect from the band on its upcoming North American tour in support of their newest album “Head Carrier.”

You became a member of the Pixies in 2014, as the bassist, contributing vocalist, and violinist. For fans who might not know, how did you get started with the group?

I’m going to take it way back. For me, at least, it was a very, very important time in 1996. I got a call from Joey Santiago of the Pixies to audition for his side project that he was doing with Linda, his wife at the time, called The Martinis. I auditioned, got the part, and he basically took me on my very, very, very first tour away from Los Angeles. It was just going up the California coast and we only played a few shows. But it was so exciting for me because it was the first time I played outside of L.A. and with Joey Santiago from the Pixies. Almost two decades later, he called me again in 2012. He needed a bass player, this time for the Pixies. When I received the call, I’ll be honest: I really knew that we were right for each other. It was perfect timing. It was something that felt like a match was made and here we are talking about the new record three years later.

What type of reaction did you get from fans when it was first announced you were the new addition to the Pixies?

At the beginning I honestly didn’t have much awareness of anything except, I gotta learn like 80 songs in two weeks. I wasn’t really thinking about what people were writing or saying. I just knew that I had a task to do and had to learn a large quantity, the whole history of the Pixies songs. So I just focused on that for a while. Once I started to feel more comfortable, I started to ask people how they feel and everyone likes it. There is something about being an artist and sometimes not being liked that’s thrilling. So if someone doesn’t approve of me or being in the band, it’s okay. You’re making me feel like an artist. I’m not a people pleaser and I don’t think the Pixies are people pleasers. It’s not really about you. It’s just about getting together and playing some songs; and it feels good.

You replacing Kim Deal was a big change for the band. How has the experience been over the last few years?

The feeling I get from the word ‘replace’ is that it’s something that keeps a spirit of a band in its pure form. I feel that Kim was never a replacement. Kim was never someone that is going to copy someone else. So coming in I wanted to make sure that I’m not going to do that either. Instead, what I’m doing is continuing a lifeline of an extraordinary band that deserves to keep on going and doing it now the way that my spirit does it – but being honest with that spirit, just like she was honest with her spirit and keeping that part of the lineage versus me just copying her.

“Head Carrier” was your first album with the Pixies. What was the creative process like for you and the band?   

I think the first day I joined the band, like the first rehearsal with everybody, was actually not rehearsing at all. I had all my notes and I was ready. It was like January 2 in 2014. I’m thinking we’re going to run through all the songs. Nope. It was like, ‘Today, we’re going to record a brand new Pixies song.’ So my very first day was writing creatively with the band. It was a song called “Women of War.” It was so fun to do and we realized like, wow, once we’re ready to make the next record (which we weren’t at the time), I was in a way already knowing that it was going to be a fun process. And sure enough it really was. We collaborated super-well and that’s something you can’t predict. It has nothing to do with how good a musician is but collaborating with someone creatively. That was the goal. 

The Pixies have been on tour non-stop and in now in support of the album. The U.S. leg begins April 21. What are you looking forward to most on this part of the tour? 

I’m going to be a little bit selfish in saying I’m kind of looking forward to going to Portland; mainly because my favorite record store, Mississippi Records, is in Portland. I only shop there. I’m a very monogamous record shopper for some reason. I don’t know why, maybe it keeps me from buying too many records. Usually once a year I’m on tour and I go to Portland and I go to this record store and dig through all the records. I’m really excited to get my fingers dirty there.

You sang “All I Think About Now,” a song dedicated to the Pixies previous bassist Kim Deal. What does that song mean to you now?

It’s dedicated to Kim but at the same time it could mean anything to anybody who’s listening to it. Even if you didn’t know that the song was about Kim you could apply it to a relationship or any moment of life; it’s something we can all relate to. The song is one I happened to write stumbling through a mistake that I heard from a song that Charles (vocalist and guitarist Black Francis) was writing. I heard it completely wrong and backwards and twisted and I came up with this thing that was totally different. Charles asked me to sing on it. I told him if I sing on it, you have to write the lyrics. He said, “Okay, I’ll write the lyrics, but you have to tell me what you want to sing about.” He wanted me to feel strong about singing something, not about his life or what he relates to. It was silence in the room around midnight. It was kind of like, ‘What am I going to sing about?’  Something that was not just proper for me but for the band and it clicked that it was Kim. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be contemplating what I would be singing about. The fact that she left the band changed my life. All of her choices of life made my life really different so I kind of wanted to thank her for letting me in.

You directed the music video for “Classic Masher,” which is also off of the album. Where did you get inspiration for the video? 

It was so fun! These guys are so great to me. They’re just opening their arms. They know I like doing all kinds of things and I like to stay busy and fired up and making music videos. They know that I was always into films so one day the manager asked if anyone had any ideas for the next video. I pitched an idea and they gave me complete freedom to do whatever I wanted. I ‘m very resourceful so I casted my father as the lead and my really awesome girlfriend, Jewels, who’s a graffiti artist and one of my close friends, Hannah, who’s a model, who I’ve used in all of my videos. She’s kind of like my muse.  And I used some other girls I really liked, and my car Daisy; just things that are around that I like. I have an idea for another video for The Pixies and I’m going to hopefully pitch it to them.

Are the Pixies working on any new music right now?

Right now we’re just focusing on our time with the tours. We’re not focused on the next record although we’re excited about making the next record together.

Pixies kick off their North American tour in Pomona, CA at the Fox Theater On April 21 and will play L.A.’s The Theatre at Ace Hotel April 25 and 26, NYC’s Webster Hall May 24, and Brooklyn Steele May 25 and 26. Get more details here.