A short documentary of fragmented footage captures the Pixies recording their 8th album.
Due to COVID and the death of band member Kim Shattuck, the Pixies haven’t recorded in more than three years.
But now we’ve been treated with more than just new music, because a six-minute behind-the-scenes documentary has been released by the Pixies, showcasing their process of making album number 8, Doggerol, in a studio located in Guilford, Vermont.
The documentary opens with Black Francis, the Pixies‘ front-man, explaining his commitment to focusing on this album. “I gotta do this thing,” he tells his children, asking to be left alone for a few weeks while he records in the studio.
The footage documents beautiful shots of the snowy landscape surrounding the wooden cabin where the band resided during their recording sessions.
The eco-friendly Guildford Sound Studios fits the standards of what the Pixies look for in a recording studio, and their manager Richard Jones reiterates that the band choose the studio they record in with intention.
“We find somewhere that’s got great equipment, the sort of desk Tom wants to work with, a nice sized live room,” Richard said, explaining the importance for both the band, and their producer Tom to have space to breathe while they record.
Equipment and instruments used in the studio are montaged over Richard, as an undertone of a classic Pixies bass line plucks along.
The members of the band share in this documentary, little snippets of what recording in this studio meant to them.
Paz Lenchantin, the bassist, vocalist, and violinist of the band since 2014, shared her opinion about the studio. She believes that it’s “always good to record when in a place where nothing else but music is in the cards”.
Black Francis ends the documentary by making the director laugh with his nonchalant attitude towards his music career and passion. “What do I got to complain about, I’m making fucking music for a living…I have good problems,” he joked.
The group will release an extra episode of their It’s A Pixies Podcast, tomorrow (Friday, June 10). In the episode, they’ll discuss how their Australian tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s hope that there will be new dates for tickets!
Doggerol is due for release on the 30th of September. But you can listen to one of the singles from the record, There’s A Moon On, below.
