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Sat 22 August 2026 4:00, UK
Authenticity can be a real problem in rock music; while being true to yourself is always a positive, subscribing too heavily to the truth you’re expected to tell can become a problem.
Jack White once spoke about how authenticity can sometimes be a bad thing, recalling when The White Stripes were first making a name for themselves and how much the press wanted to focus on the fact that they were from Detroit – White believes it got in the way of the music, as people were more focused on his background as opposed to what he was actually making.
“Throughout history, we’ve been sold authenticity over and over. The English press are the kings of it. You’ve got to ask yourself about The White Stripe’s appeal to England had we been from Los Angeles instead of Detroit,” he said. “The story of the city of Detroit became our authenticity, that dirty, crumbling town. I don’t see a lot of other artists getting asked about where they live, but I get asked about where I live constantly.”
This is an issue a lot of bands have, and it comes in different forms. For instance, when you think of some punk bands, the whole point of punk is to be the underdog and to be battling for everyday people. How effectively can you do that when you become a huge success? People can no longer relate to the music that you’re making, because nothing about you is relatable anymore.
Pixies were faced with an issue comparable to this. They wrote the song ‘Here Comes Your Man’ as a demo when they were first trying to get signed. It was a bit too poppy for them when they eventually got a record deal, and so they didn’t officially record it until 1989 on their record Doolittle. Even then, they weren’t sure whether or not recording it was a good idea, but they were pushed by quite a few people surrounding them and their label, and so they eventually gave in.
Since the song was so infectious, it left fans entranced. In fact, it went on to become one of their most popular tracks. For a lot of artists, this would be a blessing, but Pixies saw it as a curse. They were anti-pop, and yet, the one song that they were getting real recognition for leaned into the thing that they tried to stand against.
Because of their desire to remain authentic, Pixies made a few sacrifices that could well have damaged their career in the long run. The first was that they refused to play the song live. Even though a lot of people were turning up to shows because they wanted to see the band perform.
Further reading: From The Vault
“The poppiest song on Doolittle, which we couldn’t even play live if we tried, is ‘Here Comes Your Man’,” said Frank Black during an interview with The Catalogue. “We would never play that song live; we’re too far removed from it. It’s too wimpy-poppy.”
Perhaps the biggest way they stopped their progression in the name of authenticity was turning down a gig at Arsenio Hall. Once again, it was all for the same reason: as cool punk bands aren’t supposed to be playing at large arenas, they should be playing in dingier venues. Pixies hated the idea that people would think they had sold out and were relying on more pop-oriented music, so they did everything in their power to stop that from happening, even if that meant swapping out iconic venues for smaller crowds, while simultaneously turning those smaller crowds away by not playing their biggest hit.
Was it a bold move? Sure. But the success of Pixies ever since has pretty much spoken for itself, and it’s all pretty authentic as well.
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