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.
Summer Day
Slowdive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun shined
Would you miss me?
You're never far, a window
I can't believe that I should care now
All the sorrow in your heaven
I thought this song would dry your eyes
Drive away
On your summer's day
I'll drive away
On your summer's day
I'll drive away
On your summer's day
I'll drive away
On your summer's day
I'll drive away
On your summer's day
Drive away
On your summer's day
I'll drive away
On your summer's day
The lyrics to Slowdive's "Summer Day" are ambiguous but seem to hint at a relationship that has ended or is ending. The singer asks if the person they are addressing would miss them and acknowledges that they are never far away, but only visible through a window. They express disbelief that they should care now and try to offer comfort by suggesting that this song will dry their eyes. The repetition of "drive away" is interesting because it suggests a desire to leave or escape, but it's not clear who is leaving or where they are going.
One interpretation of the lyrics is that the relationship has already ended, and the singer is reminiscing about the last time they saw the person. The sun shining could represent a happy moment or a fleeting moment of hope. The fact that they are never far away, but only visible through a window, could suggest that the relationship has become distant or perhaps metaphorically closed off. The repetition of "drive away" could be the singer's way of expressing a desire to move on and leave the past behind.
Another interpretation is that the relationship is still ongoing, but the singer is feeling uncertain or disconnected. They ask if the person would miss them, suggesting that they may not feel appreciated or valued. The repetition of "drive away" could be a way of expressing the desire to escape these feelings of disconnect and find a way to reconnect.
Overall, the lyrics are open to interpretation, but they seem to evoke a sense of melancholic nostalgia or uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Last time I saw you
It has been a while since I last saw you
The sun shined
It was daytime and the sun was shining
Would you miss me?
Do you ever think about me?
You're never far, a window
Even though we're physically apart, we are still connected through memories and emotions
I can't believe that I should care now
I can't believe that I've started to care again after being distant for some time
All the sorrow in your heaven
The sadness and difficulties that you're experiencing in your own personal world
I thought this song would dry your eyes
I wrote this song hoping that it would comfort and console you
And I'm sorry to have missed you
I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you when you needed me the most
Drive away
Leave and move on with your life
On your summer's day
During a time that is carefree and full of warmth
I'll drive away
I will also leave and continue on my own path
I'll drive away
Once again, I will continue my journey alone
On your summer's day
During a time that is carefree and full of warmth
I'll drive away
I am making the decision to move on
On your summer's day
At a time when everything seems perfect and life is easy
I'll drive away
I am choosing to let go and move forward
On your summer's day
During a time of happiness and warmth
Contributed by Riley I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MaxedPoin
Lyrics (What I could hear)
Faster the sun and sunshine won’t you miss me?
You’re heading for the window
Can’t believe that I should care
For the sorrow in your heaven
I thought the sun would dry your eyes
And I’m sorry to have missed you
I’ll drive away, on your summers day
I’ll drive away, on your summers day
I’ll drive away, on your summers day
I’ll drive away, on your summers day
I’ll drive away, on your summers day
I’ll drive away, on your summers day
Alannbr
Amo slowdive
Jonathan
This is beautiful
Sylvia M.
Love it
xd
this is so good wow
Her Majestys Minstrel
This masterpiece never got rerecorded... thanks Neal /s
kendall
thank you so much <3
Ronnana 69
Heard they scrapped 40+ songs 😔
The Wojak Doomer
This is Bladerunner theme singing to his beloved wife
pancakerepairman
kiss me in the shadow of a doubt
Slowftw
devastating