i just bought this mag called filter today. i’ve never heard of it before, but it was in the £1 bin, so i figured what the hey…

+ on the last page, there’s a short piece written by joey santiago himself !

people want more

by joey santiago

the pixies rehearsed a few weeks ago, + there were moments when we would finish playing something + someone would say, “ why do people want this ?â€? kim deal would look up + say, “b/c … my part rules.â€? + then it would be someone else’s turn after another song to say, “ok, why do people want this again ?â€? + then david would say, “b/c … my part rules.â€? we were all having our won little moments of lameness — justifying it to ourselves by getting excited by what we were playing. my part rules.

what other bands would i like to see reunite ? well, i guess that would hinge upon if i even liked going to the shows. i was never one to be an audience member. there are some 60s bands that may be a bit passe-trendy to admit to liking, like os mutantes. now, there’s something i’d like to see — maybe just to find out how he gets those guitar sounds. the beatles ? well, band reunions don’t work if everyone’s not there. it will never, ever work unless 100 percent of the people are in there + getting treated fairly. it would never, ever work. there is absolutely no way tyranny will prevail this time ! no taxation w/o representation ! + you know what ? even if i can’t see the whites of their eyes, i’ll still shoot ! (hey, i love everyone. there is absolutely nothing wrong with peace, love + understanding. nothing !)

my wife seems to think that the typical pixies fan is of the more intellectual, nerdy type. i think that’s b/c we were a fucking smart band. a lot of intellectual effort went into putting those songs together. we actually had a marketing rep who would tell us which demographic would like the three-chord changes as opposed to four. he would tell us that demographically, the 4/4 beat is always the winner. with the 6/8, you’re just trying to be a smartass.

i’m still surprised when i hear a pixies song on the radio. i wish, “here comes your manâ€? was never a single. i’m really bummed about that. it’s a misrepresentation. that was out over-the-top prozac moment. we weren’t like that. i wish they would play something like, “dead.â€? that’s it. that’s what the essence is. “debaserâ€? — i wish they played that too. maybe we’d be more popular. maybe we’d get out of this college rock rut we’re in. i’d rather be considered high school rock. it sells more records. high school kids have all the money. the ramones got it right. how boring would rock’n’roll high school have been if it was set in college ?

i dropped out of college. all i did was drop out + go to boston w/charles [black francis]. that was it. simple, really. we took out an ad. kim deal was the only one who answered it. she just told me a couple of weeks ago, “that was the only ad i answered.� + then david came in. that’s the story. i guess people just want more.

joey santiago is the guitarist + a founding member of the pixies. his current project, the martinis, will release a new album later this year.