Fans of shoegaze icons Slowdive may not have to wait much longer for the band’s first album since the self-titled 2017 LP. The band confirmed the new album is done after teasing they were working on the latest offering at the start of 2022. Neil Halstead revealed the news recently on the SixPack podcast.
Halstead said on the podcast: “Some of the stuff I bought in was very electronic-based because that’s where I’m coming from sometimes. And then it will work its way back to being an indie guitar thing. We end up meeting in a place where everyone is happy.”
Formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989, Slowdive broke up after their third album Pygmalion in 1995. The remaining band members kept playing together with a more folk and country-influence sound as Mojave 3. Slowdive famously reunited to play the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona in 2014, following the performance of their first London show in two decades.
Slowdive’s self-titled album in 2017 was their first new music in 22 years. Some members of Slowfive have also been part of a super-group since 2021 called Beachy Heads, which includes musicians from The Flaming Lips, The Soft Calvary, and Casket Girls. The Beachy Heads’ self-titled debut album was released in April 2021.
I’ve been more interested in shoegaze lately, so the news about a new Slowdive album is certainly welcome. The band has definite psychedelic influences, such as Pink Floyd, along with the softer sounds of post-punk groups like the Cure.
Neil Halstead once said the band’s mission was to “create something big and beautiful and sort of timeless.” They have definitely done that over the years. Other influences for Halstead he has mentioned are David Bowie, the Byrds, My Bloody Valentine, and the Jesus and Mary Chain.
From the little I have listened to Slowdive, you can also tell that newer shoegaze bands like Beach House (one of my favorites) have been heavily influenced by them. That dreamy, lush sound is where it’s at.
Support Slowdive by checking out their official website or find them on Bandcamp or social media (Facebook, Instagram).
Leave a Reply