“It was completely new”: PJ Harvey’s favourite Pixies album
Alternative rock is a needlessly broad term which, when you really think about it, does not mean anything. Rock and roll in itself is, or should be, an alternative to the mainstream music scene. However, as the 1980s rolled on, rock had been hijacked by legions of excessive, self-aggrandising and often misogynistic groups like Guns N’ Roses. As such, there was a need for an alternative to the alternative, a call which was answered by revolutionary groups like Pixies and, later, PJ Harvey.
PJ Harvey is a particularly unique artist within the context of British rock and alternative music. Despite rising to prominence within the rock scene of the 1990s, Harvey managed to transcend trends and operate entirely on her own terms. While grunge and then Britpop dominated the mainstream rock consciousness, Harvey was busy creating her own endlessly innovative and original sounds. As it turns out, the young songwriter was originally inspired by the trailblazing sounds of another iconic rock outfit, Pixies.
Formed in 1986 and spearheaded by the songwriting of Charles Thompson, better known by his stage name Black Francis, Pixies went largely underappreciated by the musical mainstream during their initial tenure. Nevertheless, the Massachusetts outfit seemed to find their way to everybody who needed them, providing inspiration for a future generation of radical young artists, including PJ Harvey.
For Harvey, the appeal of Pixies came from their incredible originality. In a 2004 interview for a DVD showcasing Pixies’ live shows, Harvey shared, “It was completely new for me, that’s why it was so exciting.” Of course, many groups and artists went into the unique sounds of PJ Harvey; everybody from David Bowie to Arvo Pärt has had a part to play in the inspiration of the songwriter. Nevertheless, it seems as though it was the rebellious sounds of Pixies that gave her the push to embark upon her own musical journey.
Pixies’ discography is fairly varied, a mixture of seminal releases and largely forgettable efforts – mainly arising after the departure of Kim Deal in 1993 – but their early period is pretty flawless. PJ Harvey seems to have a special appreciation for the band’s early work, selecting their debut album, Surfer Rosa, as her favourite Pixies album. “Surfer Rosa would be my favourite,” she said, “because of the combination of [Steve] Albini’s production and their songs. You put the record on, and it sounded like they were in the room with you, which was so exciting to hear.”
Continuing in her appreciation for the band, she picked out the early song ‘I’ve Been Tired’ as a particular source of inspiration. “It was so in your face,” Harvey recalled, “I became fascinated, particularly about [Black Francis], through the songs, through the lyrics, because I think his songwriting is quite incredible.” The same could be said for virtually any Pixies track, as they were always pretty “in your face”, as was a lot of PJ Harvey’s work, in fairness.
It took quite a while for the mainstream to take notice of Pixies in the same way that PJ Harvey had done. Unexpectedly, it was the release of the film Fight Club in 1999 that inspired a rebirth in the band’s popularity, after the track ‘Where’s My Mind’ – from the PJ Harvey favourite Surfer Rosa – was used for the film’s grand finale, turning a whole new generation on to the distinctive sounds of Pixies.
