Joey Santiago has always been the quiet force driving Pixies’ sonic personality – the man behind the wiry leads and angular phrases that defined a generation of alternative guitarists.
In a new conversation with Paul Cashmere at Noise11.com, Santiago peeled back the layers of his guitar philosophy, tracing his inspiration to George Harrison’s melodic arpeggios and Jimi Hendrix’s sonic freedom, and explaining how a lifelong commitment to “not copying” anyone became the foundation of his craft.
“For me it started with not copying anyone,” Santiago says. “Everything on the radio in Boston at the time was heavy metal, really fast players. I just whittled it down – they’re doing that, so I’ll do this.”
Watch the Noise11 interview with Joey Santiago of Pixies:
That conscious decision to resist imitation shaped the Pixies’ sound when the band formed in 1986. Santiago’s approach – minimalist, deliberate, and emotionally sharp – became the counterweight to Black Francis’s surreal lyrical bursts and Kim Deal’s melodic basslines. Songs like Where Is My Mind?, Debaser and Gigantic show how a single note or feedback squeal from Santiago could anchor an entire song.
Santiago credits George Harrison’s restraint for showing him the power of simplicity.
“George’s arpeggios really stuck with me,” he explains. “They serve the song, not the player.” From Jimi Hendrix, he absorbed an attitude – the idea that sound itself could be an expressive language. Santiago’s leads on Surfer Rosa and Doolittle embody both: disciplined yet volatile, like pop hooks run through a hurricane.
Years of composing for film and television also reshaped his creative instincts. “Soundtrack work made me less precious,” he says. “You’ve got to throw something down quickly – and sometimes that’s when the best stuff happens.” The experience taught him to trust his instincts, a lesson he now carries back into the studio and onto the stage.
When Pixies reunited in 2004 after more than a decade apart, the chemistry returned immediately. “We sounded exactly the same,” Santiago recalls. “The groove was still there.” Across later albums like Indie Cindy, Head Carrier and Beneath The Eyrie, his guitar continued to define the space between noise and melody, pushing Pixies’ sound forward without ever losing its original bite.
With Pixies returning to Australia in November 2025 for a pair of career-spanning live experiences – Bossanova/Trompe Le Monde and Classic Pixies sets, Santiago’s distinctive touch will once again take centre stage. “It’s all about the emotion behind the note,” he says. “You can’t fake that.”
Pixies – 2025 Australian Tour Dates
Bossanova / Trompe Le Monde Set
November 8, 2025 – Fremantle Prison, Perth
November 13, 2025 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
November 16, 2025 – The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
November 19, 2025 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Classic Pixies Set
November 9, 2025 – Fremantle Prison, Perth
November 14, 2025 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
November 17, 2025 – The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
November 20, 2025 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Support: Elliot And Vincent
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