Black Francis, best known for his work as the frontman for the Pixies, sat down with NME.com to talk about his new band, his upcoming touring schedule, and the soon to be released Pixies box set titled “Minotaur.”
Francis’s new band, Grand Duchy, is a musical duo comprised of himself and his wife Violet Clark. Unfortunately, according to Francis, touring with his wife had some unforeseen complications. “Grand Duchy is challenging because mommy and daddy are in the band,” says Black Francis, who has five children with his wife and band mate Violet Clark.
“We wish we could just throw money at the scenario, which is what we do, but unfortunately we're just not in the bracket of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.” He adds, “It's really challenging touring with little people and making sure they're comfortable. You can't just throw them in the back of a van as we've found out. They have a lot of needs and touring is hard. We're trying to figure out how to accomplish Grand Duchy stuff without making it a bummer for the kids.”
He goes on to explain why touring is more beneficial to a band’s success than simply putting out an album.
“The rendezvous point between the patron and the artist has been moved from a record shop or online…to live shows,” he says. “People are excited about live personal appearances. They'll buy tickets for that. That's a great thing for live music. But now everyone's touring, which is great for roadies and nightclubs and theatres. But now everyone and their mother is on the road. So that means there's a lot of competition for your dollars.”
Black’s solution? Simply make things cheaper. “I think what has to happen is everyone has to get used to making less money and have to charge less money. Everything's got to get cut down to more of a five-dollar world. People will say, ‘Oh yeah, I'll pay five bucks to see that or for a T-shirt or a record.’ I think it's gonna become more of a five-dollar world than a $25 world, $50, or a $150 world.”
He continues, “I realize to some people I may sound like a hypocrite because the Pixies are getting ready to release a box set. I think the limited edition version retails for $450. But that art already exists - the demand for that particular product has been researched by the people putting it out. If people don't buy it, we'll all be fools.”
He concludes with a biting shot at the recording industry as a whole; “I think everyone should sell whatever product they want to sell for whatever price they want to sell it for, but ultimately the market will dictate what it is and people will have to charge less money for everything. Record companies have been overcharging people for way too long and now this is the trouble that they're in. They created this situation because they were just a little too greedy,”
Black will be performing at the Isle Of Wright Festival with the Pixies on June 14 and says that the band has plans to play more shows during the summer. Additionally, Grand Duchy will be performing at the New York’s Siren Festival on July 18 and Chicago’s Wicker Park Festival on July 25.
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