Pixies have opened their archive with the digital release of four previously unearthed songs from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The collection includes “Dig for Fire (Albini Version),” “Go Man Go,” “Brackish Boy,” and “Punk Loop.”
The recordings first appeared last month on bonus 7-inch singles included with limited Dinked International editions of the band’s newly remastered albums Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde. They are now available more widely through streaming services.
“Dig for Fire (Albini Version)” was recorded in late 1987 during the sessions for Surfer Rosa. This rough early take predates the version eventually released on 1990’s Bossanova by almost three years.
“Go Man Go” has a particularly complex history. Co-written by Black Francis and Kim Deal, the song was recorded by Pixies during the Bossanova sessions and by Deal’s band The Breeders while working on Last Splash. Neither recording appeared on its respective album. The Breeders’ version circulated as a bootleg demo and was sometimes performed live before its master was rediscovered and officially issued on the 30th-anniversary edition of Last Splash in 2023.
The other two tracks come from the Trompe le Monde period. “Brackish Boy” is an early version of a song Black Francis later re-recorded for his 1993 solo debut, released under the name Frank Black. “Punk Loop” was recorded during the 1991 Trompe le Monde sessions and preserved on tape under the title “‘Punk Loop’ MSTR.”
The archival release arrives ahead of a busy 2027 schedule for Pixies. The band will begin a South American run in March before joining Queens of the Stone Age for a spring arena tour across the United States, starting May 1 in San Diego and ending May 24 in Boston.
Sources: Consequence.