The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group currently consists of Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar), Joey Santiago (lead guitar) and David Lovering (drums), alongside recent addition Kim Shattuck (bass, vocals), who replaced founding member Kim Deal in 2013. The Pixies achieved relatively modest commercial success in their home country, but were significantly more successful in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The group disbanded in 1993 under acrimonious circumstances, but reunited in 2004.
The band's style of music contains a range of elements, including indie rock, psychedelia, noise rock, and surf rock. Black Francis is the Pixies' primary songwriter and singer. He has written about a number of offbeat subjects in the band's songs, such as extraterrestrials, surrealism, incest, and biblical violence.
The group is credited as having significant influence on the alternative rock boom of the 1990s. The Pixies' legacy and popularity grew in the years following their break-up, leading to sold-out world tours following their reunion in 2004.
In June 2013, bassist and vocalist Kim Deal officially left the band, and shortly after the band released a new track, "Bagboy"; their first new material in almost ten years.