If anything, the existence of these two records just a year after Dog In The Sand simply proves you work quickly.
I think I’m just expressing myself, and it happens to be at a pretty good clip. Because of the way the music business is right now, people that don’t have to deal with all kinds of big corporate entities controlling what they do have a lot of freedom to make records and go on tour when they want. I have a good time, I don’t worry about all that stuff ... It’s not like I have 10 albums in my back pocket; I have two, and that’s what I’m going to release. It’s because we’re excited about having our own recording studio. We’re gonna go and record again in a couple weeks because it’s fun, not because we need to make another record. I mean, believe me, my record company’s going to start pulling its hair out when I call them up in a month and say, “Oh, by the way, we got this other record done and when can you release that?”

Most of the Catholics have been together for a decade now—which is longer than the Pixies—but it seemed like things only really started clicking last year with Dog In The Sand.
Yeah, that’s true. It felt like a solid plateau with a good view. As opposed to Pistolero before it, which was an interesting, rocky place to be. To make really great records is not about the great song that you wrote, it’s about all the other songs you have to go through to get to that really great moment. I’m not apologizing for other records, that’s just like a snapshot of where you were. I’m not saying that people should like every record the same, either.

With these new records, you seem to have arrived at a nice crossroads of blues and country, Texas and California.
It’s just a matter of allowing yourself to be influenced by certain kinds of records that you like. I don’t think I’ve made an authentic country record or Tex-Mex record. I don’t think there’s a single note of authentic blues music in any record I’ve ever made.

I should thank you, because you mentioned Doug Sahm to me in an interview last year and really turned me on to his music.
Oh, wow. That’s great. Yeah, he was the guy that did it all.

[Fanboy discussion of Doug Sahm follows; those interested in Sahm are advised to read Mitch Myers’ article in the current issue of MAGNET. Yes, this is a plug for the magazine.]

Sahm was another guy who, like you, would get up and go whenever he needed to tour or make a record. He was self-sufficient.
It’s fun to be self-sufficient. It’s OK if you’re not in the big limelight. Even if you’re playing in some tiny club in the middle of nowhere, it’s kind of like, “Hey, guess what? I’m in the middle of nowhere and I’m the one with a microphone and a guitar.” It’s still a thrill.

What did you think of David Bowie’s cover of (the Pixies’) “Cactus” on his new album?
You know, I bought it last week and I still haven’t listened to it. It’s on deck, I haven’t taken it out of the package yet.

Did he contact you about that at all?
No. I mean, he didn’t call me up. [In English accent] “Hello, Frank. What would you think if I were to tell you ... ” I’m really happy that he covered my song, obviously.

There are some interesting Tom Waits parallels going on with you right now: You’ve both released two albums simultaneously this year, you cover Waits’ "The Black Rider" and (Waits guitarist) Moris Tepper plays on your new records.
Everything is connected. There’s a big conspiracy going on, I’m not sure what it is. I’m a big part of it, but ultimately I don’t know if I’m the one who’s controlling it. It’s funny how things are connected sometimes.

I was going to ask you about the Pixies demo disc that came out recently, but instead I’ll just ask you if there’s anything left to say about the Pixies at this point.
Well, it’s the other half of Come On Pilgrim. Is it a lost album? No, most of the songs were re-recorded for other records. What’s it sound like? It sounds like the Pixies. It is the Pixies. I haven’t listened to it since 1987. I’ll probably listen to it sometime soon. It is a legitimate session, but I was 21 years old. It’s kind of tough to sit down and listen to your old stuff.