| Paz Lenchantin | |
| Birth Date: | 12 December 1973 |
| Birth Place: | Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Years Active: | 2000–present |
Paz Lenchantin (born December 12, 1973) is an Argentine-American musician. She is best known as the former bass guitarist and backing vocalist of the alternative rock band Pixies. Lenchantin joined the band in 2014, following the departure of founding member Kim Deal, and recorded three studio albums before leaving in 2024.[1]
Prior to joining Pixies, Lenchantin was a member of Entrance, A Perfect Circle, Silver Jews and Zwan. In April 2024, Consequence named Lenchantin the 75th greatest bass guitarist of all time, noting: "Not only did she fit in beautifully in [A Perfect Circle and Pixies], but she was also a shining light in Billy Corgan’s short-lived band Zwan. Along with holding down the low-end, she’s also a wonderful vocalist and a skilled violinist."[2]
Lenchantin is of Armenian, French and Argentine ancestry.[3] She moved to Los Angeles with her family at the age of four. Her father, Mario Merdirossian, is a classical pianist who has been a professor of piano at the National University of Buenos Aires-Tandil, the University of Mississippi, and the Catholic University of Lima, Peru.[4] Lenchantin speaks fluent Spanish and English. She began playing piano at age five.[5] She then took violin lessons at age 8 and taught herself how to play guitar at age 12.[5] Her sister Ana Lenchantin is a musician and a frequent collaborator. She also frequently collaborated with her brother Luciano Lenchantin before his death in 2003. In the '90s, Paz was a piano teacher, a music programmer for video games, and a sound composer for the Sci-Fi Channel.[6]
Lenchantin joined Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese, Troy Van Leeuwen, and Maynard James Keenan in the band A Perfect Circle. She contributed to their albums Mer de Noms and Thirteenth Step. Lenchantin later left the group to join Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, Matt Sweeney, and David Pajo in the band Zwan. In 2002, Lenchantin, Melissa Auf der Maur (Smashing Pumpkins and Hole), Samantha Maloney, and Radio Sloan (the Need) created a new band, the Chelsea. The all-female supergroup played only one show on February 2, 2002 before going their separate ways. An audience recording of said show was later bootlegged. Lenchantin returned to play strings and piano with A Perfect Circle in recording their cover album Emotive, released November 2, 2004 and debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200. She also contributed a solo cover of the song "The Hollow" to A Perfect Circle's CD/DVD release aMOTION. Since 2005, Lenchantin has been collaborating with the Entrance Band on their album Prayer of Death, as co- producer as well as contributing bass and violin. She also appeared on the previous Entrance album Wandering Stranger (2004). She is now a seemingly permanent member of the Entrance Band.
Since 2012, Paz has been touring with Josephine Foster supporting the Blood Rushing album promotion.[7] In December 2013, Lenchantin was announced as the new touring bassist for Pixies, in replacement of founding band member Kim Deal and touring bassist Kim Shattuck, for their 2014 tour.[8] In July 2016, Lenchantin confirmed that she was a full-time member of Pixies.[9]
On 4 March 2024, the Pixies announced that Lenchantin had left "to concentrate on her own projects". In a statement to Rolling Stone, Lenchantin said that the choice was not hers and that her "departure [was] a bit of a surprise to [her] as it is to many".[10]
Lenchantin played strings on the Queens of the Stone Age album Songs for the Deaf.[5] She has played with David Pajo in Papa M, and contributed fiddle on the Silver Jews record Tanglewood Numbers.[5] She has toured with RTX/Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux. In 2002, she performed on Trust Company's album The Lonely Position of Neutral. In 2005 she played violin on the Kaura track "Dividing Lines". She has also contributed to and toured with Jarboe of Swans. In 2000, she appeared in A Perfect Circle's "Judith" music video as bassist. Lenchantin also played bass on Brightblack Morning Light's 2006 self-titled album on Matador Records. She worked with director Michael Mann on his film Miami Vice[11] contributing violin on several scenes. She contributed playing strings on Melissa Auf der Maur's first solo album Auf der Maur. In 2008, Paz co-wrote the Ashes Divide song "Denial Waits", and she played violin on Jenny Lewis' second studio album Acid Tongue. She appeared on Into the Presence's 2009 album, playing the bass.
Solo[12]
With A Perfect Circle
With Pixies
With Zwan
With Ashes Divide
With Brightblack Morning Light
With Entrance
With Jenny Lewis
With Josephine Foster
With Kaura
With Melissa Auf der Maur
With Queen Adreena
With Silver Jews
With Trust Company
With Jarboe