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, To The Moon, Transistor, and—most recently—All Lost.
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. 2014 saw the band go on a 5 month, 40 date long tour. In January 2017, Slowdive released their first new single in 22 years on the Dead Oceans label. Another single and a self titled fourth album followed in May 2017, preceded by another single, "Sugar for the Pill".
In September 2020, Slowdive announced they had begun work on their fifth studio album. In April 2023, the band confirmed on a podcast that they had finished their new album. The lead single "Kisses" was released on 20 June 2023, and later that month the band played the Glastonbury Festival for the first time. The album's second single "Skin in the Game" was released on 18 July 2023, followed by "The Slab" and "Alife" in August, and the album Everything Is Alive, was released on 1 September 2023.
Ballad Of Sister Sue
Slowdive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[You] tell me I'm lost and I don't seem too sure what to do
There's a fire in my head and I'm blinded by bullets
There's a fire in my head and I'm blinded by bullets
Dancing to nowhere, I'm losing my head and I'm
Dancing to nowhere, I'm losing my head and I'm
And the man at the bar that [night] recall that he needed me
And the man at the bar that [night] recall that he needed me
I'm lost and I'm sold
I lay down beside you
Sister, I'm blinded
It's only my eyes
I've sold them before
The man said the drinking is handled [by pouring it right]
The man said the drinking is handled [by pouring it right]
And It seemed much the same when he pointed the gun at his head
And It seemed much the same when he pointed the gun at his head
[Who'd need me then]
In raise of much noise and I checked out the time, yeah
Let all my face down [in the words] of a stranger []
Sister, I've lost all the feeling
I'm lost and I'm sold
I lay down beside you
Sister, I'm blinded
It's only my eyes
I've sold them before
The Slowdive song Ballad of Sister Sue is an emotive and haunting track that conveys a sense of confusion and despair. The first verse sees the singer being told by someone that they are lost and not sure what to do. The repetition of this phrase creates a sense of urgency and panic, and is amplified by the references to fire and bullets in the second verse, hinting at a sense of danger and chaos. The singer then reflects on a previous encounter with a man at a bar who seemed to need them, suggesting that they may have been seeking a sense of purpose or validation from others. The chorus sees the singer expressing their feelings of disconnection and numbness, emphasised by the use of repetition and imagery.
The second verse takes a darker turn as the singer reflects on the man at the bar who pointed a gun at his head, suggesting a link between the sense of desperation and helplessness felt by both characters. The final lines see the singer withdrawing from the world, 'letting my face down' and admitting to having 'sold' their eyes before, implying a level of self-destructive behaviour or a willingness to avert their gaze from reality. Overall, the song conveys a sense of despair and confusion, but also hints at the possibility of hope and connection with others.
Line by Line Meaning
You tell me I'm lost and I don't seem too sure what to do
You're pointing out that I seem uncertain and directionless
There's a fire in my head and I'm blinded by bullets
I'm feeling intense emotional pain that's making it hard to see clearly
Dancing to nowhere, I'm losing my head and I'm
I'm engaging in meaningless, aimless activity and starting to lose my mind
And the man at the bar that [night] recall that he needed me
That guy at the bar seemed to require my assistance that evening
Sister, I've lost all the feeling
I'm lost and I'm sold
I lay down beside you
I feel numb and directionless, and I'm seeking comfort from you
Sister, I'm blinded
It's only my eyes
I've sold them before
I'm aware that my vision is currently impaired, but I've been in this situation in the past
The man said the drinking is handled [by pouring it right]
That guy at the bar asserted that proper pouring is key to good drinking
And It seemed much the same when he pointed the gun at his head
His demeanor didn't change when he put a gun to his head, as if it were an ordinary action
[Who'd need me then]
In raise of much noise and I checked out the time, yeah
Let all my face down [in the words] of a stranger []
Amidst all the hustle and bustle, I started to question who might require my presence, and allowed myself to be affected by the words of someone I don't know
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NEIL HALSTEAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Conrad
on Miranda (Demo Version)
Wrong lyrics.