Black Francis Defends Comments About Pixies Reunions and Money

In February, Pixies frontman Black Francis told the Quietus that his band's priorities weren't as much about the music anymore, saying, "I did the arty farty part. Now it's time to talk about the money." Reactions among fans were mixed; some appreciated his honesty, many wrote him off as just another cash-hungry rock star while others were genuinely disappointed. Francis, for his part, isn't changing his stance.

"I'm always a little bit blunt about money because I think that a lot of artists are p---ies. They don't want to admit that money is a part of their life, you know?" he tells Spinner.

Just because the man born Charles Thompson isn't solely doing Pixies reunions to celebrate the quartet's famed output doesn't mean he's completely about money these days. In fact, Francis -- whose most recent solo album, 'NonStopErotik,' was released in March -- points to his post-Pixies solo career as proof.

"It is art versus commerce, I'm very well aware of that. If it was all about commerce for me, I wouldn't be making the types of records that I make," he says. "To me, money is a big part of it. If money isn't a part of it, then I'm just some weekend warrior playing at like parties. As soon as I got into music, I tried to be a working, real artist who gets paid for what he does, who doesn't have a day job."

While many artists may privately share that sentiment, Francis is tired of them not owning up to it.

"I admire people who can be like 'I just can't think about the money. I just make art and let other people worry about that,'" he says, a bit mockingly. "It's wimpy to get all high and mighty, everyone acting like they're f---ing monks or something in the Church of Rock."