Exclusive: Pylon Reenactment Society Premieres New Track “Fix It” Featuring Kate Pierson of The B-52’s

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Vanessa Briscoe Hay take the stage with Pylon at The 40 Watt in Athens, Ga. in the early 1990s. She was the Tasmanian Devil come to life, a ball of energy fronting a band that R.E.M. had turned so many of us onto several years after they’d had become Athens legends in the late ’70s and early ’80s. While Pylon has never stopped being relevant, the release of the 4-LP Pylon Box in 2020 brought the band back to the forefront and Briscoe Hay was invited to play a number of festivals. But in light of the death of founding guitarist Randy Bewley, a reunion was impossible. Instead, she gathered a new generation of musicians—guitarist Jason NeSmith, bassist Kay Stanton and drummer Gregory Sanders—to keep the spirit of Pylon alive without trying to be Pylon.

Now Briscoe Hay has an album of new music with Pylon Reenactment Society, Magnet Factory, due out Feb. 9 on Strolling Bones Records. Today, we premiere the video for “Fix It,” featuring vocals from Kate Pierson of The B-52’s, a band that inspired Pylon and the whole Athens music scene that followed.

“I’ve been a B-52’s fan since the first time I saw them, which was their third show ever,” Briscoe Hay says. “They were always supportive of Pylon. When I saw their final show in Athens, it struck me that Kate would be perfect for that particular song. It was such an honor to have one of my all time musical heroes sing on our song.”

The making of the video brought several longtime friends together.

“Kate also graciously agreed to be a part of the video,” Brisco Hay says. “She was filmed in Chattanooga, Tenn., prior to a festival appearance with the B-52’s. The rest of the filming took place near Athens, Ga., at a shop owned by Curtis Crowe (drummer of Pylon), who makes a cameo appearance along with Michael Lachowski (bassist for Pylon) who was also the graphic designer for the Magnet Factory packaging. It was amazing having all of them be a part of this video.”

Watch the video for “Fix It” below: