Supernova - A Brief History of Shoegaze

A vast and dominating sound caused by the immeasurable amount of reverb and fuzz storming through the soundsystems. The guitars took center stage, not the vocals. The bands could not look disinterested anymore if they tried, but in fact they were fully submerged in a psychedelic, utopian trance caused by the frabjous sound of their instruments. Subdued and soothing vocals that make you feel like you're drifting through rainbows. This is shoegaze, a musical speck that left a glorious impact on the alternative music scene.

The Origins

Shoegaze uses a technique called “Wall of Sound” which is a deep sound that takes over an extensive part of the song. Popularised by Phil Spector and various pop acts signed to his label, the Wall of Sound technique was a key influence for many shoegaze and dream pop artists. All I Have To Do Is Dream by the Everly Brothers and Be My Baby by the Ronnettes are perfect examples of the Wall of Sound technique used within early pop music. Alongside this, proto-punk and garage rock bands heavily influenced the shoegaze scene with their assemblage of gorgeous sounds. Lou Reed’s ostrich tuning on his guitar floats effortlessly in and out of center stage throughout the song All Tomorrow's Parties, but holds great significance in the song when not. Slip Inside This House by the 13th Floor Elevators features Roky Erickson’s constant zizzing of his guitar, a riff unrivalled within the 1960s rock scene that without doubt paved the way for many shoegaze artists. 

Further Influences

In the 70s, punk rock held the majority of the limelight within the alternative music scene, with possible influences of shoegaze only coming from the continuation of psychedelic rock. However, with the introduction of gothic rock in the late 70s, early 80s another influence sprung to life. The Cure’s early work such as A Forest and One Hundred Years features the typical atmospheric Wall of Sound so recognisable within gothic rock. I would argue Double Dare by Bauhaus is the best example of a proto-shoegaze song. The song contains a thumping drum beat that is felt with such abundance throughout the body and a guitar riff that rattles your eardrums. They are succeeded by harrowing vocals from the great Peter Murphy, transforming the song into a dramatic frenzy. You feel the anger in his voice turn the listener red with the same rage as Murphy. Come the end, a tsunami of reverb and distortion transcends this song into something unforgettable.

The Final Piece of the Jigsaw

In the 80s, jangle pop and new wave were certainly the most prominent alternative genres of the decade, however flurries of a new genre spiked the attention of music critics. The Jesus and Mary Chain released Psychocandy in 1985 as a figurehead within the genre of noise rock. Taste of Cindy being the most noteworthy song off the album due to its clear influence in both post punk and garage rock. On the other side of the pond, Sonic Youth were the forerunners of noise rock in the States. Their third album, also released in 1985, featured sprinkles of noise rock subtly foreshadowing their later work. Many bands from America followed suit; Yo La Tengo, Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr deserve being mentioned, the latter of which giving us some of the finest guitar riffs of the genre. Most prominent in the United Kingdom, a “psychedelic spin-off” of noise rock also added some tasty ingredients to the shoegaze cauldron. Droning of guitars and detached vocals made up a vast part of this sound, so typical of bands such as Loop and Spacemen 3. Loop’s debut album was released in 1987 and its opening track features an inducing riff manufactured by the psychedelic gods, that entraps you in a hallucinogenic trance. The echoey vocals make you feel isolated from the band themselves but the resolute fuzz hits you with unmeasurable force. To shut the curtains on such an impeccable album, Spacemen 3 close Sound of Confusion with O.D. Catastrophe. A song that continues to build throughout, O.D. Catastrophe highlights a simplistic but powerful drum beat that feels like marching soldiers coming to destroy your ears, in the most intoxicating way possible. Close to the six minute mark, the whooshing of the guitar reverb cascades over your body, haunting your soul and encompassing your ears until insanity.

The Holy Birth and the Genre’s Peak

The year is 1988 and after trying a more gothic approach to their sound My Bloody Valentine switched their style completely and released their debut album Isn’t Anything. A monstrous debut album, Isn’t Anything is widely regarded as the first shoegaze record. Several Girls Galore, the ninth song on the album features the luscious vocals of Bilinda Butcher that holds hands with those of Kevin Shields, to perfection. Colm O Ciosoig’s thundering beats on the drum, allows the song to have a pinch of solidity to it, something that is possible to lose within the pleasurable chaos that the shoegaze sound holds. The chaos in this song being the guitars almost fighting each other at times, like two brothers getting the attention of their parents. But what is it though, is a fabulous song that is part of something much bigger in the long run. 

From 1990-1993 is where I believe shoegaze hit its climax. Four years of fame for such an expansive sub-genre, definitely does not do shoegaze any justice. The Holy Trinity, is what I like to call them, were released during these years and are very comparable with the infamous footballing trio with the same name. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless is George Best in this world. Both tumultuous at times, but share endless charm that makes them impossible not to love. Souvlaki by Slowdive and Sir Bobby Charlton both embody what is expected of them both and hold elite talent right throughout the album and career respectively. Last, but by no means least, Nowhere by Ride and Denis Law. Both are possibly overshadowed by the two, but are very much true members of the trio. Both seem wild at first, but as you delve deeper into them both, you find yourself in awe of how they are fully grounded in the raw elements of their art. Despite owning many incredible songs on the aforementioned albums, it is not one of them that I’d say is my highlight of the genre's peak - Grasshopper was an addition to Ride’s second studio album: Going Blank Again. To put it in the most informal way possible, the first time I heard this song, within the first ten minutes and fifty six seconds, I endured some of the most pleasing eargasms I have ever experienced. The song is of course ten minutes and fifty six seconds long, so every part of this song, with no vocals, hits every nerve and every nook and cranny of my body, in the most sepharic way possible. If the Egyptian god Hathor was around to make a shoegaze song herself, there is no doubt in my mind it would’ve sounded just like Grasshopper.

To sway away from the most popular shoegaze bands, the genre was very vast to say the least, specifically in England at the time of its peak. Bands such as Curve, Lush, Pale Saints and Chapterhouse, to name a few, all have a polished shoegaze discography that are listened to religiously by avid shoegaze fans. In addition to these English phenoms, the United States also had a few shoegaze bands within the same class as these. Mazzy Star are more of a dreamier band than most shoegaze artists, but some songs are slightly heavier and possess tranquillising vocals from the very best in the game - Hope Sandoval. The heavier sound and vocals are most notable on Roseblood from Among My Swan. The Swirlies - Pancake features five seconds of static before breaking into a raucous masterpiece that is short and sweet, like the title itself.

But just as it started, shoegaze finished. With the avalanche that was Britpop and the hurricane that was Grunge, shoegaze stood no chance in staying mainstream and they put an end to what was a prodigious purple patch within the alternative genre.

Gen-Z Resurge

Naturally, shoegaze has still stayed afloat over the years, but has not yet taken off as strongly as before. The whole world can see anything with a click of a button these days, via social media, so it is no surprise that fans on TikTok were able to get their hands on the shoegaze songs of yesteryear. Staying on the social media rollercoaster, fans took to a song called Your Face by Wisp. While a continuous fuzz runs up and down your spine, Natalie Lu whispers about pining for a romantic connection that she has been trapped in. Lu and many other artists give the avid shoegaze listener a glimmer of hope for the dazzling genre and who knows, maybe one day will see shoegaze at the top of the alt music pedestal again.