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“My departure is a bit of a surprise to me as it is to many”: Bassist Paz Lenchantin on Pixies exit
The band yesterday announced that former Band of Skulls bassist Emma Richardson will be filling the role.
Image: Debbie Hickey / Getty Images
Pixies bassist Paz Lenchantin has expressed her “surprise” at the band’s decision to part ways with her after ten years.
In a statement released Monday, Pixies announced that Lenchantin has “exited the band to concentrate on her own projects”.
“We’re grateful for Paz’s many contributions,” the members wrote, “and wish her all the very best going forward.”
The band also shared in the same post that former Band of Skulls bassist Emma Richardson will be filling in when their European tour kicks off on 8 March in Ireland.
An announcement from Pixies.
La la love you… pic.twitter.com/TUqbRcoNaA
— PIXIES (@PIXIES) March 4, 2024
Shedding light on her exit in a new email to Rolling Stone, Lenchantin says that she did not leave of her own accord and that the news came as a shock to her as it did to the fans.
“It has been a dream of dreams these past 10 years to have been accepted as a Pixie by the band and by fans and an honour to have contributed to the Pixies legacy,” Lenchantin began. “My departure is a bit of a surprise to me as it is to many, but it looks like they have a solid plan figured out which in turn has pushed me to move onwards onto new projects that I am excited about.”
Kim Deal was Pixies’ bassist from their inception in 1986 until 2013, when she departed to concentrate on her work with the Breeders. Following her departure, Kim Shattuck, former bassist of the Muffs (who passed away in 2019) briefly toured with the band in 2013. Later that year, she was replaced by Paz Lenchantin, who previously played with Zwan and A Perfect Circle.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2022, the musician said that she was a die-hard fan of Pixies growing up. Lenchantin recalled sneaking out and missing the first day of school to catch the band’s 1989 stadium gig in LA.
“My parents had no idea I was there. I listened to a lot of Cure and Pixies back then. I just loved it all.”