The Pixies' reunion is rolling on a decade, which is three years longer than the group was together in the first place. Even though the band recently lost original bassist Kim Deal to the Breeders for a second time, singer Black Francis (born Charles Thompson), guitarist Joey Santiago and drummer David Lovering are pressing on, now with the bassist Paz Lenchantin. Pixies also just released their first substantial set of new music in 22 years with "EP-1" and "EP-2." We checked in with Lovering on tour before the group's two Northern California shows this week.

Q: Did you expect the buzz around the reunion to last this long?

A: No. When we first got together in 2004 we were talking about doing it for maybe one year. I think we're very fortunate.

Q: The documentary "loudQUIETloud" made it look like life on the road with the Pixies is not all that fun. Is it really that miserable?

A: That film was made by a crew that followed us around for two years, before they realized we were the most boring band in the world. So they had to make up story lines and skew things to make it look interesting. It's not all that bad. Everything is fine.

Q: And now you can play "Angry Birds" backstage - you don't have to sit there and stare at your shoes.

A: Definitely. There's a lot of difference. The biggest difference is Jumbotrons. They weren't around when we were playing the first time around. Now every imperfection is magnified 20 times on the giant screen.

Q: What is your relationship like when you're not onstage?

A: On off days I think everyone just does their own thing. We usually have three shows in a row and it's not just those three shows, it's all the years you're constantly with each other. It's not that we don't like each other. We still hang out. We go to dinner often. But you need your alone time.

Q: Do you miss having Kim Deal around, because you were the ones who mostly worked together?

A: Yeah, I do. She was all I ever knew. When I looked over to my left it was Kim as a person and personality. It was hard at first with her not being there because I was so familiar with it. Now I have Paz there, and it's interesting with Paz there because she's a virtuoso. I actually have to play better to keep up with her. It's giving me some adventure, which I like. It's kind of the same, but the personality is gone. {sbox}

Pixies/Best Coast: 8 p.m. Feb. 21. $55. Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 7 p.m. Feb. 22. $62.80. San Jose Civic, 135 San Carlos St., San Jose. www.ticketmaster.com.