Beneath the Eyrie is the seventh studio album by the Pixies, released on September 13, 2019, by BMG/Infectious. Produced by Tom Dalgety, and preceded by the singles “On Graveyard Hill” and “Catfish Kate”, the album was recorded in Dreamland Recording Studios, a remote, converted church in upstate New York. The band were influenced by their Gothic surroundings during the writing and recording process, with vocalist and guitarist Black Francis stating:
“I wanted to intermingle with the spirit world, with life and death and with the mystical and a more surreal landscape.”
The album was produced by Tom Dalgety, who had previously worked with the band on their 2016 album Head Carrier. Its release was preceded by lead single “On Graveyard Hill” on June 3, 2019, followed by second single “Catfish Kate” on August 6.
The album’s title was inspired by an eagle‘s nest discovered at the back of the converted church that the band were recording in: “There was an old train track from the 1800s that was all grown in. When you walk to the train track you can get a glint of a giant eagle’s nest, a bald eagle’s nest. It’s huge, quite a sight.”
The album’s cover was designed by Vaughan Oliver, who had designed all of Pixies‘ album artwork since Come On Pilgrim in 1987. Beneath the Eyrie was Oliver’s last collaboration with the band before his death in December 2019. The Deluxe Edition of the album was released on February 24, 2020.
Tracklist:
- In the Arms of Mrs. Mark of Cain
- On Graveyard Hill (Francis, Paz Lenchantin)
- Catfish Kate
- This Is My Fate
- Ready for Love
- Silver Bullet
- Long Rider (Francis, Lenchantin)
- Los Surfers Muertos (Francis, Lenchantin)
- St. Nazaire
- Bird of Prey
- Daniel Boone
- Death Horizon
- Caught in a Dream (Demo) Japanese edition bonus track
Pixies
Black Francis: guitars, lead and backing vocals, songwriting
Paz Lenchantin: bass guitar, backing and lead vocals, piano, Mellotron, songwriting
David Lovering: drums, percussion
Joey Santiago: lead guitar
Technical personnel
Tom Dalgety: production, engineering, mixing at Psalm Studios in Wiltshire, additional prepared piano and percussion
John Davis: mastering at Metropolis
Ken Helmlinger: engineering assistance
Simon Larbalestier: photography
Vaughan Oliver: art direction
Ariel Shafir: engineering
Ian Sopko: engineering assistance
Michael Speed: design
Vaughan Oliver ( September 12, 1957 – December 29, 2019)
