Pixies debut new song 'Bam Thwok' on iTunes
Tonight at midnight The Pixies will release their first new song in 13 years on Apple's iTunes digital music store. "Bam Thwok" was written by bassist Kim Deal, who also sings lead on the tune. The track was arranged and rehearsed at guitarist Joey Santiago's home studio and produced / recorded by the Pixies at Stagg Street Studios in Los Angeles this past March.
The band is including the song in their set lists on upcoming North American tour dates. Click below for more details and quotes from Deal and frontman Frank Black.
As the Pixies are not currently affiliated with a record label, they had the
luxury of making their first new song available to fans around the globe at
a low price and instantaneously, something that iTunes could easily provide.
The Pixies plan to perform "Bam Thwok" at concerts on their current European
and upcoming North American tour dates.The music for "Bam Thwok" had its genesis in a chord progression that Deal
had been toying with for a while, and the lyrics from an art book she found
discarded on a city street a number of years ago while on tour. "From the
handwriting, you could tell that this book must have belonged to a little
kid," Deal recounts. "This kid had written a short story, a paragraph
really, about a party that took place in another universe, about people and
monsters that were partying together. That's what provided the inspiration
for the lyrics." The song is a musical romp, and features a driving beat,
searing guitar, and the whimsical chorus, "Love. Bang. Crash. Wakka, wakka,
Bam Thwok." "It's a song about loving everyone," Deal added, "showing good
will to everyone."The Pixies - Deal (bass, vocals,) Frank Black (vocals, guitar), Joey
Santiago (guitar), David Lovering (drums) - arranged and rehearsed the song
at Santiago's home studio, which includes a 15-second carousel-esque organ
solo performed and recorded many years ago by Santiago's father-in-law while
he was doing missionary work in the Philippines. "That's a great piece of
music," added Deal, "and it fits perfectly.""'Bam Thwok' is a really good song," said Frank Black. "Recording it was a
nice way for us to break the ice after twelve years. The recording process
was very relaxed and it didn't feel like twelve years had passed."