Pavement Breaks Up
November 16 -- How solid is Pavement these days? Not very, according to an interview with Stephen Malkmus, frontman for the celebrated indie rock outfit.
Although the band, best known for its 1994 underground hit "Cut Your Hair," has claimed for months that it is merely on hiatus, Malkmus' comments in a new interview indicate the group has no intentions of reassembling. "Pavement is definitely finished," he tells Britain's NME.
Malkmus says he isn't sure why fellow Pavement founder Scott Kannberg was reluctant to come out and confirm the split in an earlier chat with the U.K. music tabloid. "Maybe he hadn't figured out how to say it the right way."
Apparently, neither has Pavement's U.S. label, Matador Records. In a post on the Matador Records message board, label chief Gerard Cosloy reiterates the official position that the band is "on a very extended break.
"The reason we have not announced a formal 'breakup' is because we have never been asked or authorized to do so by anyone in the band." However, Cosloy concedes that recent comments from Malkmus and Kannberg in the press "would indicate that Pavement are all done."
"Steve told Spin and the NME that they've broken up, and Scott doesn't deny it, so you do the math," admitted Matador publicist Nils Bernstein to Wall of Sound today. "Neither they nor us are really the 'official statement' type."
Malkmus' debut solo album, Swedish Reggae, is slated for U.S. release in early 2001. But don't look for it to stray too far from Pavement's signature sound. "I wish it was a big departure, but it's hard to depart from yourself without being a poseur," he tells NME.
According to Cosloy, Kannberg is working on new recordings with a number of collaborators, including original Pavement drummer Gary Young.
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