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.
Changes
Slowdive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the wall, hide
Is it for love
Of what we saw here
Lose that form and
I'm a long shadow
And the form, hide
In what we brought here
It's a game that I still play
In that form I'm
All of what we saw there
In that form, hide
In what we brought here
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
The lyrics of Slowdive's "Changes" contrast hiding and playing, form and shadow, and what is lost and brought. The opening lines "In the soul, play/ In the wall, hide" suggest a juxtaposition between the internal and external, between the freedom of play and restriction of hiding. The line "Is it for love/ Of what we saw here" raises a question of motivation and what drives the singer to play and hide.
The following lines talk about losing form and becoming a long shadow, which could be interpreted as losing one's identity and becoming someone unrecognizable. Yet, the next line "And the form, hide" suggests that the form is something to conceal, possibly a painful or vulnerable aspect of oneself. The repetition of "It's a game that I still play" emphasizes the idea that the singer is engaged in a continuous struggle between revealing and hiding, showing and concealing.
The lyrics of Changes are open to various interpretations, but they convey a sense of inner conflict and search for self-awareness. The theme of hiding and playing could relate to issues of identity, authenticity, and self-expression. The repetition of "In what we brought here" could suggest that the singer is seeking to reconcile with their past and bring it to the present. The ambiguous nature of the lyrics makes the song a perfect example of Slowdive's dreamy and atmospheric style, which tends to create a mood rather than a clear narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
In the soul, play
I find pleasure in playing within my own soul.
In the wall, hide
I try to conceal my true self within the protection of walls.
Is it for love
I wonder if my actions are fueled by love.
Of what we saw here
Reflecting on past experiences, I question the true motives behind our actions.
Lose that form and
If I let go of my physical form, I become a mere shadow.
I'm a long shadow
Without the constraints of my physical self, I become a long shadow.
And the form, hide
With the loss of my physical form, I am able to hide from the world.
In what we brought here
Looking back on our past actions, I question why we brought certain things into our lives.
It's a game that I still play
I am still caught up in a game, unsure if it's just a game or something more.
In that form I'm
When I am in my physical form, I am defined by it.
All of what we saw there
Reflecting on past experiences, I consider all that we witnessed together.
In that form, hide
When I am in my physical form, I try to hide my true self from the world.
In what we brought here
Reflecting on past choices, I question why we brought certain things into our lives.
It's a game that I still play
Within this game of life, I am still unsure of the rules.
It's a game that I still play
I am stuck in this game, unsure of its true purpose.
It's a game that I still play
I am constantly caught up in this game, unable to escape its hold.
It's a game that I still play
Despite my confusion, I am unable to stop playing this game called life.
It's a game that I still play
This game is a constant presence in my life, always on my mind.
Writer(s): Neil Halstead
Contributed by Adrian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@micaela7159
LYRICS (from genius)
In the soul, play
in the wall, hide
is it for love
of what we saw here?
Lose that form and
Im a long shadow
And the form, hide
In what we brought here
Its a game that I still play
Its a game that I still play
In that form im
All of what we saw there
In that form, hide
In what we brought here
Its a game I still play (5x)
@MorrisseySerbiaFan
In the soul, play
In the wall, hide
Is it for love
Of what we saw here?
[Verse 2]
Lose that form and
I'm a long shadow
And the form, hide
In what we brought here
[Refrain]
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
[Verse 3]
In that form I'm
All of what we saw there
In that form, hide
In what we brought here
[Outro]
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
It's a game that I still play
@ratso69ful81
I hear your voice
But it can't bring me back
I'm dreaming of all the things
I ever thought I had
I'm pushing down
I'm diving deep
Yeah slowdive to my dream
I'm feeling good, yeah
I'm feeling free
Slowdive, you can't touch me now
I close my eyes
And let the ground slip
From my mind
I'm falling now
I'm diving now
I'm gliding in the sky
Graceful birds will whisper
As I sadly pass them by
He's feeling good, yeah
He's feeling fre
@roxanaaurus
I hate being lonely but slowdive is kinda making it better
@rong2912
It's sad that there are so many lonely people in a world so crowded.
@mybloodyvalentineisajit
I feel u bro
@winnermarcelosc
It's being so hard to be alone for so many years, but when i hear this song i just find the comfort side on all of that and makes me want to close my eyes at night on my porch
@hopla29
i agree. loneliness is so painful
@winnermarcelosc
@@hopla29 Music is the shore for those who sail through storms. Never forget that friend.
@TheOhman123
After hearing this song, Slowdive became one of my most passionate musical experiences. Never heard anything so delicate and so well composed in such a fashion as they do. Shoegaze alone doesn't cut how incredible this band's music is. Timeless beauty crafted by beautiful minds.
@carlostorresfuentes739
+TheOhman123 nunca mejor dicho !
@Kaiyoshca
+TheOhman123 Very well said
@sayakota5771
+Neopoliton lyrics mate?