Slowdive Is At The Forefront Of The Shoegaze Revival
Gen Z has been enamoured by the cascading sounds of shoegaze, which originated in the late 80s and grew to popularity through the 90s. 30 years later, we’re seeing dads and daughters attending the same shows, bridging the generational gap to appreciate some distorted sounds. No band exemplifies this comeback more than Slowdive.
My Bloody Valentine announcing a comeback show, NewDad playing in Asia and now Slowdive blessing us with a show at In The Meadows, we are so back. After a hiatus from releasing music for 22 years, the group released an album in 2017 and then followed with their 2023 project “Everything is Alive”. This became their highest-debuting album ever.
Self-addmittedly “Powered by cannabis”, the band created some of the most famous ethereal rock in the past 30 years. After being hit with negative reviews from the press in 1992, the group wrote to legendary producer Brian Eno to help with their next project. The band described their collaborative process with Eno as “one of the most surreal stoned experiences of [their] life.”
When describing Brian Eno’s creative procedure, vocalist Neil Halstead said, “The first thing he did when he walked into the studio was to rip the clock off the wall and put it by the mixing desk”. Their creation of music was hectic as the band became self-conscious of their work due tot he former critical panning. This led to Halstead escaping to a Welsh cottage. Nevertheless, coinciding with this time of creative angst, Slowdive produced the group’s most famous work, Souvlaki.
The album received initial criticism, yet today it sits as one of the most notable shoegaze albums ever. However, it was undeniable that at the time, industry backing was not sufficient for the band’s survival. Following a final album ‘Pygmalion’, the group disbanded for over two decades.
Much like groups such as Panchiko, it was pressure from internet fanatics that reignited Slowdive’s existence. Once a very real pariah of the shoegaze scene, they were now viewed as the epitome of quality in the genre. It was not until 2014 that Slowdive would return for their first tour in almost 20 years, including a date in Ireland.
Slowdive by definition, were ahead of their time. Disliked by critics of their day, music journalists are now scrambling to amend their reviews of the group’s work. Easily one of the most iconic groups of their genre and considered one of the forefathers of shoegaze, they’ll be playing In The Meadows this weekend.
Catch us in our feels listening to ‘When The Sun Hits’ at In The Meadows this weekend. Click here to secure your ticket.
