SAN DIEGO — Sometimes, all it takes is a few sharp notes to create an era-defining guitar riff. Joey Santiago, lead guitarist for the Pixies, knows this well: his angular, melodic playing has defined some of the Promethean alt-rock band’s most memorable songs, from “Where Is My Mind” to “Monkey Gone to Heaven.”
Though frontman Charles Thompson (known on stage as Black Francis and Frank Black) is considered the Pixies’ creative powerhouse, Santiago has been a steady and vital ingredient to the band’s consistent success. Santiago and Black, once college roommates, founded the band nearly 40 years ago in Massachusetts (the Pixies’ 1993 to 2004 hiatus notwithstanding). Drummer David Lovering — a career magician on the side — has been with the band since the beginning. Original bassist and background-singer Kim Deal left in 2013 due to reported creative discord, finding success with The Breeders and in her solo career. Paz Lenchantin followed in her footsteps, playing for over a decade before being replaced by Emma Richardson just last year.
Even with that changing roster of bassists, the Pixies have not appeared to lose their musical footing. In 2024, they released a fresh batch of spooky surf-rock tunes on “The Night the Zombies Came,” sonically fitting in with their extensive discography. They have been touring regularly since their 2004 reunion, they are now on tour with the Austin-bred rock band Spoon and singer-songwriter Fazerdaze from New Zealand, including a show in San Diego on Aug. 27.
Santiago recently answered questions in a phone interview. His answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What does touring actually look like for you these days? Do you have any spots that you like to hit when you’re in San Diego?
A: We’re in the bus together. It’s actually the preferred way to do it. You know, after the show, we leave around one or two in the morning and we wake up in the next city, right? It’s like time travel. As for San Diego, my son goes to San Diego State University. He’s going to be a junior, and I’m going to be helping him move in. He’s actually going to go to the San Diego show, because he’s right there.
Q: You have two kids, correct? What kind of music are they into?
A: They’re more into rock, now, especially my son. He’s gravitating towards playing the guitar more. And my daughter’s kind of the same thing.
Q: Have you been trying to teach him, or did he kind of pick it up on his own?
A: I’ve taught him a little bit. I didn’t think I had much to teach him. But it’s funny — I do know more more theory than I thought I did.
Q: With touring, emotionally speaking, is it just kind of like another day at the office? Are there coping mechanisms you need to use?
A: At the end of the day, you’ve got to take yourself out of the equation. There are people coming in. I was reminded of that with my kids — they gave me some perspective. You know, people plan for this, these tickets were on sale for a while, they got babysitters, or their friends are coming in, and people are making a night of it. Those thought processes help.
Q: How’s it been playing with the with Emma Richardson? She joined you guys last year and played on your newest album. Does it feel solid?
A: Yeah, that’s what I was going to say, that she’s solid. She’s always on it. You know, her harmonies are right on the button, everything about her. She’s a joy to be around.
Q: Has it been a coincidence so far that the Pixies have really only had female bassists, or is that something that you guys sought out? Does it play to that nostalgia factor?
A: Well, we originally wanted a female bass player. From then on, the female backing vocals were recorded. So it just makes sense to always have that element.
Q: The Pixies seem to have some newer, younger fans that are joining the masses. Your opening riff of “Where is My Mind” kind of caught fire on social media, on TikTok — tens of thousands of videos have used that sound. I’m curious about what you think of that as an artist. Do you think it’s cool that people are getting into you that way? Or is it kind of isolating that song from you guys, or cheapening it?
A: No. I think it’s cool that people I know think it’s cool, if that makes sense. Directly, if I saw it, that’s just the way it is. It is what it is.
Q: The Pixies have often been cited as one of the most influential rock bands of all time. You guys are credited with pioneering the whole quiet, loud, quiet dynamic. Do you think that that’s an accurate credit?
A: Yeah. I mean, that is very nice to hear. It really is. But you know, at the same time, we got influenced by other artists too. So it’s nice to be part of that vocabulary. If our band spurs other people to start a band, then kudos.
Q: Who were your influences? Did you have an ideal trajectory or ideal sound when you and Frank Black first started playing together in college?
A: Just different. We just wanted to be just different and interesting, really. What we listened to probably didn’t translate to what we sound like. For me and (Charles) too, it’s, you know, The Beatles’ “White Album.” You know, that classic stuff. Later on we got into the more alternative stuff. But our DNA, my DNA, is with that kind of genre.
Q: You had writing credits on a couple of the songs off the Pixies’ newest album — “Hypnotised” and “I Hear You Mary.” Do you see yourself doing more songwriting in the future?
A: I mean, the music thing, I just did that. I just presented it to the producer, and he liked it — I’m sure Charles liked it too — but I do that kind of stuff at home anyway. I never really presented it, because Charles just wanted to be the main songwriter at the time, which is fair enough, I guess. But lyric wise, I’m shocked that he asked me to do that.
Q: Are you guys working on new music actively?
A: Yes. We’ve worked out some demos and some maybe-keeper backing tracks, and we’ve worked out some recordings already that we’re going to want to finish up.
Q: And you’re sticking to that signature Pixies sound, or shaking it up?
A: We’ll see. That is a good question, and I do want to explore. But it’s all still going to end up sounding like the Pixies.
