Unit 13 - Bands that have inspired the EP and I
Julie
Julie is an American shoegaze band originating in Orange County, California in 2019. They take much of their inspiration from My Bloody Valentine and Swirlies. In the beginning, the band consisted of two members, Keyan MTA (vocals and guitar) and Dillon Lee (drums) but soon the band became a trio after meeting Alex Brady (vocals, bass) through the local Orange County music scene. (Kamara, 2024) states that julie has because "emblematic of Gen Z's fresh shoegaze obsession" and I think this is extremely true. There's no doubt that shoegaze has been on the rise recently within the younger generation as everyone searches for unique music and I can see julie has been the perfect choice for Gen Z as it combines classic parts of shoegaze with newer modern elements. I myself was meant to see julie in concert recently before they had to cancel and I consider them to be one of my favourite bands. It's fitting that julie cultivated their sound and aesthetic during a time of isolation, unease and massive cultural upheaval (Velasquez, 2023). This is the greatest aspect I'm inspired by regarding julie, they manage to create such an intense and emotional sound, especially in their instrumentals, I want to capture that loneliness like they do.
Swirlies
The Swirlies are an American indie rock/shoegaze band hailing from Massachusetts. They are known for combining different genres like shoegaze and noise pop to establish their own unique sound. In my upcoming gig, I'm planning to cover one of their most popular songs, Pancake. They feature plenty of layers of guitars with sweet female vocals that bring the sound together. I would say their sound even reminds me in certain elements of lo-fi also. In fact, Every 90s Rock Band Ever (2023) describes their sound as an aggressive happiness that drags you into the light. To be honest, from my research I've found lots of interviewers and writers tend to consider Swirlies their own unique sound, not shoegaze. However, similar to many bands within genres like shoegae, Swirlies never became Taylor Swift level of famous but they are incredibly well known within shoegaze for testing the limits and creating original sounds throughout their music. From this band I want to achieve the same effect they have where their vocals tie in so well with the instruments.
MBV
Formed all the way in Dublin, My Bloody Valentine is definitely one of the most well-known shoegaze bands of all time. The band is thought of as a pioneer in the genre of shoegaze and are vastly credited as such. With their most popularity in the 80s-90s, the band consists of four members, with the main guitarist, vocalist and producer being Kevin Shields. Their 1991 album Loveless is considered their finest work and gains the highest praise, many fans believe this to be the epitome of what shoegaze is. (Morrison, 2021) states that the songs withn it were awash in dynamic waves of distortion and reverb. Whilst it features many dense and experimental songs, it's also well known as the album that caused their label to go bankrupt, with the band then going on hiatus for over 20 years I believe. Considering they're such a staple in the culture, I want to try and find some inspiration from this band and incorporate it into my work.
Narrow Head
Narrow Head is a band I first discovered in my first year of college when I was trying to expand my taste. They produce painful yet melodic shoegaze sounding tracks with often raw and emotional lyrics. (Pearlman, 2023) Describes their sound as being interspersed lyrically and musically, with bursts - or at least slivers - of light and optimism. I'm personally a big fan or their self-produced album Satisfaction and it's sound but they're one of those bands where I find regardless of how they change, I still enjoy listening to them. In an interview with Bonazelli, 2020, Duarte (the lead singer) talks about what he considers their true debut album and states that Satisfaction was tracked in a weekend and incredibly expensive. What I like most if how this band is comfortable with their style, I too don't want to be a carbon copy of another band and I don't care if flatcat doesn't end up shoegaze-y as long as I can create a sound I'm proud of.
References:
julie:
https://officemagazine.net/julie%E2%80%99s-startlingly-self-sufficient-vision
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/meet-julie-la-art-rock-trio-sweet-unsettling-interview
Swirlies
https://medium.com/@WatermelonForLizards/the-swirlies-better-than-shoegaze-c22e17d1250c
my bloody valentine
https://xpn.org/2021/11/12/my-bloody-valentine-loveless/
narrowhead
https://www.kerrang.com/narrow-head-moments-of-clarity-interview-jacob-duarte
https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2020/08/10/miss-90s-alt-metal-then-get-to-know-narrow-head/