I think all musicians and producers, they know the real goal is to come up with a record that is entertaining and not boring, that's the goal. I think if everyone agrees that that's the goal then it doesn't matter who's the band and it doesn't matter who's the producer. It just means that that you try to realise the ambition no matter what the situation is or who the people are.

Black Francis

Categorized in : Mean Ambition Real

I drive a lot. Just for pleasure. Sometimes I'll get in the Cadillac and drive around the city or the country, kind of trying to get lost basically. Y'know, just see where roads lead.

Black Francis

cities trying country

The first thing that inspires any song is a chord progression. When I have one I really like, I get into the lyrics even more.

Black Francis

song inspire firsts

Wise is the tongue, wet of perfect thought.

Black Francis

tongue wise perfect

When we've got something to say to the world, we will. I'm really happy that people are interested. "So, what's up with the Pixies record? So, what's up with the Pixies record?" One guy just kept asking me and asking me in an interview, and I kept saying, "I just got done telling you no, there's nothing to report."

Black Francis

guy done people

I'm an untrained musician. Untrained musicians don't really have any music theory, they don't have a lot of rules. We break the rules, but it's mostly because we don't know what the rules are. It's easy for us to go to certain places, so I'm not surprised that a lot of people were amused by my songwriting style.

Black Francis

style musician people

You think you've made something really great, but there's a reason why it's not resonating the way some previous work did. But it's not that easy to just replicate. Some people think, "Oh, just go do that thing you used to do before." But it just doesn't work like that. It's a lot more mysterious or slippery.

Black Francis

mysterious people thinking

I have two step-kids and one of my own on the way. That's three college funds.

Black Francis

college two kids

If you're a good band then the filter of the band is pretty strong.

Black Francis

filters band strong

I'm really inspired by the interplay of visual art and music, a total artistic environment where there's sound and visuals. When I think about that I get stimulated and excited. It's a feeling that you can't label with words.

Black Francis

feelings art thinking

When you're a creative person and you create art with other people, whether you're married to them or not, you're going to run into creative conflicts. If you're a couple, certain inhibitions and barriers are gone. I have those barriers with other people, but I don't have them with my wife.

Black Francis

couple running art

I come from an art history background. I studied at a master's degree level; I chose to dork out on art for much of my adult life. A lot of my heroes are artists and a lot of my musical heroes have an artistic side.

Black Francis

musical hero art

There's more to life than listening to rock music.

Black Francis

rock-music rocks listening

I listen to Neil Young and jazz and classical stations and, if my girlfriend's driving, it tends to be Hall & Oates.

Black Francis

driving jazz girlfriend

It's sour grapes, I admit, I want to be more famous so people are examining my work couplet by couplet, you know what I mean? That's the level where I want to go.

Black Francis

levels mean people

There was a fking review in fking Melody Maker [of the first BOSSANOVA single, 'Velouria'] - 'Sounds like someone's been taking singing lessons'. Like, motherf**king A! I am the singer. Who do sing SONGS. It's like I never sang before; like I was - I don't know - reading PROSE on my previous records and now I sing. EXCUUUUUUSE me for singing

Black Francis

reading kings song

That's the most important thing, to get along with people. When you feel like you click with them. That's more important even then what their background is or what they've done before, how good they are, how new they are or whatever. All that stuff is really secondary to just getting along with the person.

Black Francis

important done people

I don't like to have everything all worked out in my head because there's always a chance of it coming out different than you think it should anyway.

Black Francis

different chance thinking

This is a particular thing, you know, catholic stories of martyrs who had their head removed and then continued to be miraculous in the last moments of their life.

Black Francis

catholic lasts stories

I think everybody has a painter inside of them somewhere.

Black Francis

painter thinking

If I have more creativity that I want to get out of me, I try to find other ways than pursuing solo records so much.

Black Francis

records creativity trying