Pixies have announced the second album of their post-reunion phase. Head Carrier will be released on 30 September, via Pixiesmusic/Play It Again Sam. And unlike their last album, 2014’s Indie Cindy – whose songs had all appeared on three four-track EPs before the album – this was conceived of as a complete album.
The first single from the album, Um Chagga Lagga, is streaming now. For those fearing that sounds like a most unPixies-like title, the album also contains a song with the none-more-Pixies sounding title of Baal’s Back.
The band spent six weeks in pre-production, writing and arranging a selection of songs, which were whittled down to 12 for the final album. This is the first album since the start of the group’s career on which the songs were fully planned out before recording began in London in February.
“This was a wonderful luxury, for us to have the time to be able to really work these new songs out,” said drummer David Lovering. “By the time we started recording, we all knew the songs backwards and forwards, so it took half as long for us to make this album as it did to make Indie Cindy. ”
The artwork for the album is by longtime collaborator Vaughan Oliver, who was the art director at 4AD during the band’s 80s and 90s heyday. Inevitably, as well as the customary formats, the album is also available in a “special limited edition deluxe box set, featuring the CD, vinyl and a 24-page booklet. Should you wish, the band’s website pixiesmusic.com will also offer a special bundle featuring the box set, a T-shirt and a print of the album cover.
This is the first Pixies album to feature bassist Paz Lenchantin, previously of A Perfect Circle and Zwan. She replaced Kim Shattuck in 2014, who herself replaced Kim Deal in 2013.