Slowdive

Bio

Slowdive is a dream pop/shoegaze band that formed in 1989 in Reading, England, United Kingdom. Signed to Creation Records in 1990 and initially championed by the British music press, the band scored a UK top forty entry with their debut album Just For a Day. The band consists of Rachel Goswell (vocals/guitar), Neil Halstead (vocals/guitar), Nick Chaplin (bass), Christian Savill (guitar), and Simon Scott (drums, 1990-1994, 2014-present); additionally, Ian McCutcheon replaced Scott from 1994-1995. Goswell and Halstead had known each other since early childhood in Reading, Berkshire. Initial demos were released as the Slowdive EP in late 1990; the band's sound was influenced by the Cocteau Twins and Creation labelmates My Bloody Valentine, featuring heavy use of guitar effects and muted vocals. Reviews in Melody Maker and the NME were enthusiastic, and two further well-regarded EPs followed in 1991 (Morningrise & Holding Our Breath). Their debut LP Just for a Day was written and recorded in six weeks, and was generally felt to be a disappointment at the time. At the same time, the UK music press had started to pick up on the American grunge scene, and the more introspective sounds of Slowdive, labelmates Ride, Chapterhouse and other "shoegazing" bands had fallen from critical favour. American label SBK pushed back the release of Just for a Day after a disastrous viral marketing campaign (involving vandalism of a public statue). In early 1992, the band toured the USA with Ride, and then returned to the UK to record a second album. The band's second album, Souvlaki, would later become generally the band's most popular and well-received record. The album broke new ground for the band: two songs featured contributions from Brian Eno; "Souvlaki Space Station" was influenced by dub reggae; tracks such as "Dagger" and "Here She Comes" would become indications of the country-rock direction Halstead and Goswell would take a few years later; and several songs such as "When the Sun Hits" and "Alison" continued the style of the first album, but with improved songwriting. Initial copies of the UK version came with Blue Day, a compilation of most of the early EP tracks originally released as a separate album in Japan and some European countries. Later in the year, the band also released the 5 EP, containing four songs showcasing the influence of ambient techno; the lead track "In Mind" was also remixed by Bandulu and Reload (both then signed to Creation's dance label). As with the first album, SBK delayed Souvlaki's release, and the band found themselves touring the USA in the summer of 1993 as Catherine Wheel's supporting act with no product to promote. The US version of Souvlaki was eventually released in early 1994, and included "Some Velvet Morning" (originally recorded for the Volume 7 compilation) and three of the tracks from the 5 EP. When Slowdive were finally able to tour America to support the album, SBK withdrew their funding halfway through; two further tours in 1994 were entirely funded by the band. Simon Scott left amidst creative differences in 1994; he was replaced on drums by Ian McCutcheon. The band had almost become a Halstead solo project by the recording of their final album, 1995's Pygmalion. A critically misunderstood and widely-misinterpreted "ambient" record, Pygmalion took the dreamy guitar sound and warm-yet-solemn tone of earlier Slowdive to a newer, more minimalist extreme, similar to earlier dream pop bands such as A R Kane, or bands such as Labradford. Slowdive was dropped by Creation in 1995 a week after the release of Pygmalion; Halstead had been warned before the recording of the album that the relationship with the label would end unless he delivered a "pop album". A legend arose that the band was dropped due to the Gallagher brothers refusing to sign Oasis to Creation if Slowdive and their counterparts remained on the label's roster, although Oasis had in fact released their debut single almost a year before Pygmalion. After being dropped from Creation, Slowdive eventually went on hiatus later in 1995. Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell and Ian McCutcheon recorded an album of country-influenced songs, and were signed to label 4AD, changing the band name to Mojave 3. Halstead and Goswell have also both released solo albums for 4AD. Christian Savill went on to form Monster Movie, a dream pop group that continued where Slowdive left off. They have released three albums thus far, Last Night Something Happened (2002), To The Moon (2004), Transistor (2005), and—most recently—All Lost (2006). Simon Scott formed Televise in 2004, a group which developed the lengthy noise swells and experimental song structures that helped define shoegaze while also including a more electronic brand of indie rock. Eventually, all of Slowdive's albums were reissued in late 2005. Just For a Day included a bonus disc with all tracks from the first three EPs, and the three songs recorded for a John Peel session on 26 March 1991. Souvlaki included a bonus disc with all the remaining EP tracks, as well as "Some Velvet Morning" (originally recorded for a compilation). Pygmalion—which had become a collector's item in the years since its release due to it never being issued in the USA—contained no extra material, however. On January 28, 2014, following a 12-day countdown and the appearance of an official website and Twitter account for the band, Slowdive announced their reunion with the Just for a Day/Souvlaki-era line-up including Simon Scott as drummer. The band was confirmed the same day to be playing the 2014 Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain. . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Similar artists

My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Mojave 3, Cocteau Twins, Chapterhouse

Genres

shoegaze,dream pop,ambient,indie,shoegazer,british,ambient techno,classic pop and rock,ambient pop,noise pop,uk,english,alternative rock,reading indie,slowcore,

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Infos

On Tour: No

country: GB

City: Reading

Begin Date: 1989-10

Last Update:

Artist next concerts

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Song Kick

The Cure with Slowdive and The Slow Readers Club at Wythenshawe Park & Gardens (August 21, 2026)

Wythenshawe - Wythenshawe Park & Gardens

21/Aug

2026

The Cure with Mogwai, Slowdive, and Just Mustard at Royal Highland Showgrounds (August 23, 2026)

Edinburgh - Royal Highland Showgrounds

23/Aug

2026

Videography

No biography registered

Artist discography

by

Last FM

No Longer Making Time

No Longer Making Time

Jan/2019

Hide Yer Eyes

Jan/2012

I'm the Elephant, U Are the Mouse

I'm the Elephant, U Are the Mouse

Jan/1999

Pygmalion Demos

Pygmalion Demos

Jan/1995

Golden Hair (Live)

Golden Hair (Live)

Nov/2019

Black Horse Pike (Slowdive Remix) - Single

Black Horse Pike (Slowdive Remix) - Single

Jun/2018

Sugar for the Pill

Sugar for the Pill

May/2017

Slowdive

Slowdive

May/2017

Sugar for the Pill (Simon Scott "Eurorack" Remix)

Sugar for the Pill (Simon Scott "Eurorack" Remix)

May/2017

Sugar for the Pill (Avalon Emerson's Gilded Escalation)

Sugar for the Pill (Avalon Emerson's Gilded Escalation)

May/2017

Star Roving - Single

Star Roving - Single

Jan/2017

Star Roving

Jan/2017

Catch The Breeze Live 2014

Catch The Breeze Live 2014

Jun/2016

Avalyn Live 2014

Avalyn Live 2014

Nov/2015

FACT Mix 430

Mar/2014

Original Album Classics

Original Album Classics

Sep/2011

The Shining Breeze: The Slowdive Anthology

The Shining Breeze: The Slowdive Anthology

Apr/2010

Slowdive - EP

Dec/2007

5 - EP

Sep/2007

Pygmalion

Pygmalion

Feb/1995

kisses (Remixes) - EP

kisses (Remixes) - EP

Oct/2024

Kisses - electronic version 3

Kisses - electronic version 3

Oct/2024

Kisses (Remixes)

Kisses (Remixes)

Sep/2024

kisses (Daniel Avery Remix) b/w kisses - sky ii

kisses (Daniel Avery Remix) b/w kisses - sky ii

Sep/2024

kisses (Daniel Avery Remix) b/w kisses - sky ii - Single

kisses (Daniel Avery Remix) b/w kisses - sky ii - Single

Sep/2024

everything is alive

everything is alive

Sep/2023

alife

Aug/2023

the slab

Aug/2023

skin in the game

skin in the game

Jul/2023

kisses

Jun/2023

Slowdive EP

Aug/2020

Souvlaki: Demos & Outtakes

Souvlaki: Demos & Outtakes

Jan/2020

Sugar for the Pill (Simon Scott “Eurorack” Remix)

Sugar for the Pill (Simon Scott “Eurorack” Remix)

May/2017

Sugar for the Pill (Simon Scott "Eurorack" Remix)

Sugar for the Pill (Simon Scott "Eurorack" Remix)

May/2017

Sugar for the Pill (Avalon Emerson's Gilded Escalation)

Sugar for the Pill (Avalon Emerson's Gilded Escalation)

May/2017

Sugar for the Pill (Avalon Emerson's Gilded Escalation) - Single

Sugar for the Pill (Avalon Emerson's Gilded Escalation) - Single

May/2017

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