Lenchantin, who is of Armenian, French and Argentine ancestry, moved to Los Angeles, California, with her family at the age of four. Her father is classical pianist Mario Merdirossian. She speaks fluent Spanish and English. She began playing piano at age five. She then took violin lessons at age eight and taught herself how to play guitar at age 12. 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.
Musical career
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 with Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, Matt Sweeney, and David Pajo in the band Zwan. In 2002, Lenchantin, Melissa Auf der Maur, Samantha Maloney, and Radio Sloan created a new band called 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 albumeMOTIVe, 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. She is now a seemingly permanent member of the Entrance Band. Since 2012 winter, Paz has been touring with Josephine Foster supporting the "Blood Rushing" album promotion. In December 2013, Lenchantin was announced as the new touring bassist for the Pixies, in replacement of founding band member Kim Deal and touring bassist Kim Shattuck, for their 2014 tour. In July 2016, Lenchantin confirmed that she is now a full-time member of the Pixies.
Other appearances
Lenchantin also played strings on a song on the Queens of the Stone Age's album, Songs for the Deaf. She has played with David Pajo in Papa M, and contributed fiddle on the Silver Jews record, Tanglewood Numbers. 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 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 albumAcid Tongue. She appeared on Into The Presence's 2009 album, playing the bass.
