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, andâmost recentlyâAll 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). Pygmalionâwhich had become a collector's item in the years since its release due to it never being issued in the USAâcontained 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.
Soulvaki Space Station
Slowdive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(And I don't want to see you)
See you smile inside
(And I don't want to know you)
Faces and I've fallen
(And I don't want to hear you)
Wonder why I'm here now
In asylum don't you see?
In asylum don't you see?
Doors close and feelings flow
Through my mind I feel his
Pictures and I've fallen
Wonder why I'm here now
Curse your soul I don't wanna know you
(And I) curse your soul, I don't wanna know you
(And I) curse your soul, I don't wanna know you
(And I) curse your soul, I don't wanna know you
The lyrics of Slowdive's song Souvlaki Space Station reflect emotions like isolation, pain, and confusion. In the first stanza, the singer talks about closed doors bringing open minds, suggesting that solitude leads to clarity of thought. However, the lines "And I don't want to see you / See you smile inside / And I don't want to know you" suggest that the singer is trying to distance themselves from someone who they have a complicated relationship with. The singer's attempt to distance themselves is evident in the next line where they say "Faces and I've fallen / Wonder why I'm here now" - indicating that perhaps the relationship was not beneficial for their well-being.
In the second stanza, the singer talks about their mind being filled with pictures and feelings that cause them to feel trapped in their own mind. The repetition of the line "Wonder why I'm here now" suggests that the singer is frustrated with their current circumstances and questioning their purpose. The line "Curse your soul, I don't wanna know you" further emphasizes the singer's need for distance and the extent of the pain and negativity in the relationship.
In summary, the lyrics of Souvlaki Space Station are about the complex emotions of being stuck in a difficult relationship and the need for distance to find clarity and peace of mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Closed doors brings open minds
The idea of being secluded might lead to an open-mindedness.
(And I don't want to see you) See you smile inside
I don't want to witness your emotions because it's painful for me.
(And I don't want to know you) Faces and I've fallen
I don't want to have any personal connections with you because I'm afraid of getting hurt.
(And I don't want to hear you) Wonder why I'm here now In asylum don't you see? In asylum don't you see?
I'm questioning why I ended up in a secluded place emotionally and feeling like I'm trapped in my own mind.
Doors close and feelings flow Through my mind I feel his
Closing the door may temporarily block out negative feelings but they still linger and haunt.
Pictures and I've fallen Wonder why I'm here now
I'm trying to understand why I keep falling into the same unhealthy patterns.
Curse your soul I don't wanna know you (And I) curse your soul, I don't wanna know you (And I) curse your soul, I don't wanna know you (And I) curse your soul, I don't wanna know you
I'm angry and hurt, wishing you didn't exist in my life.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danielbrodowski8446
I'm 65 years old and this is one of the greatest albums I've ever heard
@vers3754
Nice going
@Mikecat2019
My absolute favourite song from them.
@user-of9nr7bz4u
Mine too... Just washes over me with its brilliance
@jvubes8925
i hope the future is bright and calm
@Aaron-fr5di
greatest album ever
@user-cg5li4ry2q
this song deserves more recognition!
@SagarSinghUK
best track off souvlaki
@Aaron-fr5di
agreed
@d1m1trismp
is alison