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, andโmost recentlyโAll 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). Pygmalionโwhich had become a collector's item in the years since its release due to it never being issued in the USAโcontained 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.
Joy
Slowdive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comon brother, we're only make you pay
Twisted mind, you break my heart
I'm losing all, but I think I'll make it right
He's dancing across the fire
Down again
Dancing across the fire
Falling down in a violent way
Comon brother, we're only make you pay
Twisted mind, you break my heart
I'm losing all, but I think I'll make it right
He's dancing across the fire
Down again
And he's dancing across the fire
Down again
Watching all, you watch yourself
Lose it all, it feels you more
Laying low and watching stars
Float away and twist my mind
Losing more and more and more
I lose myself and spend it all
Twisted mind don't break my heart
Don't believe me
The lyrics to Slowdive's song "Joy" depict the struggles of an individual who is falling apart in a violent and twisted way. This person is evidently going through a tough time, but the singer of the song tells the individual, who is referred to as "brother", that they will only make him pay for what he is going through. Despite everything, the singer seems to believe in the individual and thinks they will make it right.
The phrase "dancing across the fire" could be interpreted as the person losing control and going through a difficult time, like dancing through the flames of their struggles. The repetition of "down again" throughout the song gives the impression that this person is consistently facing setbacks and falling down, but the singer seems to encourage the individual to keep pressing on regardless.
The final verse gives some insight into the singer's perspective on the situation - they are watching the struggles of the individual unfold before their eyes, but it is having an impact on them too. The individual is losing more and more, while the singer is feeling more and more helpless as they continue to watch. The plea to the "twisted mind" to not break their heart suggests that the singer deeply cares about this person and doesn't want to see them spiral out of control. Overall, the song "Joy" seems to explore the complex relationship between someone who is struggling and the person who is there to support them.
Line by Line Meaning
Falling down in a violent way
Experiencing intense emotional turmoil and turmoil in life
Comon brother, we're only make you pay
Encouragement to face the consequences of one's actions
Twisted mind, you break my heart
The pain caused by a disturbed mind affecting relationships
I'm losing all, but I think I'll make it right
Despite heavy losses, the hope of making things right remains alive
He's dancing across the fire
Metaphorically celebrating life's struggles and challenges
Down again
Describing the cyclical nature of life
Dancing across the fire
Life's struggles are like dancing through fire
Down again
But there will always be times of falling down
Falling down in a violent way
Experiencing intense emotional turmoil and turmoil in life
Comon brother, we're only make you pay
Encouragement to face the consequences of one's actions
Twisted mind, you break my heart
The pain caused by a disturbed mind affecting relationships
I'm losing all, but I think I'll make it right
Despite heavy losses, the hope of making things right remains alive
He's dancing across the fire
Metaphorically celebrating life's struggles and challenges
Down again
Describing the cyclical nature of life
And he's dancing across the fire
Continuing the celebration of life's struggles
Down again
But there will always be times of falling down
Watching all, you watch yourself
Being mindful and watching oneself
Lose it all, it feels you more
The loss of everything feels acutely painful
Laying low and watching stars
Taking a break from life and finding solace in nature's beauty
Float away and twist my mind
Letting go and allowing the mind to wander
Losing more and more and more
The feeling of losing everything grows stronger
I lose myself and spend it all
Losing oneself in the chaos and spending everything in a state of desperation
Twisted mind don't break my heart
Begging the mind not to let one lose hope
Don't believe me
The fear of not being believed or understood
Contributed by Aaliyah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@noonesland2471
Notes:
โ"Joy" was probably recorded in March 1992, because it is featured in an early tape called 'Slowdive - Demos March 1992' (Slowdive - Souvlaki - Pitchfork Classic: https://youtu.be/Sjr6esFXJl4?t=1185 )
โThis version and the Studio Demo version share the same lyrics, meanwhile the Drum Machine Demo version features some proto-lyrics with a few changes, more present in the bridge part.
Studio Demo version: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzjJbZ_zAWA&ab_channel=Noone ]
Drum Machine Demo version: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhHx6LWW3xs&ab_channel=Noone ]
@cashmoney8267
guess you guys weren't ready for that one, but your kids are gonna love it!
@MrKingalow
Extraordinary - a shelved demo better than most of all music ever after. Crazily unjust how obviously ignored and underappreciated they were then - the ending of this song alone rivals anything the Cure did in the 90s.
@vreevroow
@@TheCrazedRepublic might be misremembering but most of these demos clipped or someth and they couldn't do much with them and didn't have budget to redo. don't quote me on this though
@cyber_cunt2077
These niggas have more demos than actual songs
@TrapisYT
better than most of all their music after? you're allucinating dude
@insanity_dog4417
Slowdive Post Punk
@chocodoco4855
Sounds super gothic.
@hansbakker2216
Just discovered this after I saw the Slowdive documentary of Pitchfork on YouTube. It could be a song by DIIV, it had their atmosphere and guitarsound. Slowdive had this song on their live sets during 1992. For me one of the best slowdive songs there is.
@pancakerepairman
this could not be a song by DIIV because DIIV is shit :)