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.
When the Sun Hits
Slowdive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Burn so fast it scares me
My game, please don't leave me
Come so far, don't lose me
It matters where you are
As the sun hits, she'll be waiting
Hey hey lover, you're still burning
You're his song yeah (hey hey)
Sweet thing, I watch you
Burn so fast it scares me
My game, don't lose me
Come so far don't lose me
It matters where you are
As the sun hits, she'll be waiting
With her cool things and her heaven
Hey hey lover, you're still burning
You're his song yeah (hey hey)
Sweet thing, I watch you (burn away)
Sweet thing, I watch you (burn away)
Sweet thing, I watch you (burn away)
The lyrics to Slowdive's song "When the Sun Hits" convey a feeling of awe and fear, as the singer watches someone they care about burning bright with intensity. The repeated phrase "sweet thing, I watch you burn so fast it scares me" suggests that this person is living life in a way that is both captivating and dangerous, and the singer is both drawn to and frightened by their energy. The lines "my game, please don't leave me" and "come so far, don't lose me" express a sense of dependence and vulnerability, as if the singer is afraid of losing this person and the vitality they bring to their life. It's as if the burning intensity of this person is what's keeping the singer going, and they're willing to cling to them at all costs.
The chorus provides some intriguing contrasts, as the sun hits and the woman in question waits with her "cool things and her heaven." It's implied that the singer sees her as something almost otherworldly or divine, and that her presence brings a sweetness and lightness to their life. At the same time, the repeated phrase "hey hey lover, you're still burning / you're his song yeah" suggests that this person is not necessarily available, perhaps consumed by their own desires or passions. The final lines - "sweet thing, I watch you (burn away)" - feel bittersweet, as if the singer is resigned to the fact that this person is fleeting and will eventually be gone.
Overall, "When the Sun Hits" captures a sense of longing and uncertainty, as the singer grapples with their feelings for someone who is both mesmerizing and terrifying. The lyrics allow for different interpretations, but at their core they convey an intense emotional connection that is both thrilling and overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet thing, I watch you
I am watching you, my beloved, with great admiration and love.
Burn so fast it scares me
Your intensity and passion are overwhelming and sometimes frightening to me.
My game, please don't leave me
My strategy or approach to life, my love, is dependent on you. Please don't abandon me.
Come so far, don't lose me
We have come so far in our relationship, please don't let it all fall apart.
It matters where you are
Your presence is crucial and has a significant impact on everything around you.
As the sun hits, she'll be waiting
When the sun shines, she will be there, waiting for me.
With her cool things and her heaven
She brings unique and interesting things to the table, and being with her is like being in heaven.
Hey hey lover, you're still burning
Even after all this time, my love for you is still intense and passionate.
You're his song yeah (hey hey)
You are the inspiration for the song that he sings.
Sweet thing, I watch you (burn away)
You appear to be fading away or losing your fire, and it saddens me to see it happen.
Sweet thing, I watch you (burn away)
I can't take my eyes off of you, even if it hurts to watch you slowly disappear.
Sweet thing, I watch you (burn away)
I am fully entranced by you and cannot look away as you fade into the distance.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Neil Halstead
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@imafriendofsarahconnor9823
Sweet thing, I watch you
Burn so fast, it scares me
Mind games, don't leave me
Come so far, don't lose me
It matters where you are
As the sun hits, she'll be waiting
With her cool things and her heaven
Hey, hey lover, you're still burning
You're his song, yeah (hey, hey)
Sweet thing, I watch you
Burn so fast, it scares me
Mind game, don't lose me
Come so far, don't lose me
It matters where you are
As the sun hits, she'll be waiting
With her cool things and her heaven
Hey, hey lover, you're still burning
You're his song, yeah (hey, hey)
Sweet thing I watch you (burn away)
Sweet thing I watch you (burn away)
Sweet thing I watch you (burn away)
@valekrrnz2226
This song reminds me of someone who i loved.
We were on a bus, she was heading home and i don't knew where i was going. But i don't wanted to be home.
Suddenly she passes me one earplug, and said something like "do you know slowdive?". I was into grunge and punk at the moment. I said no.
Then this starts playing on my left ear.
I don't really wanted the bus to stop anytime soon, i wanted (and still want) to live in that moment forever.
She got over me and moved to another city to study.
I'm still here getting high to this song.
And i'm pretty sure that particular bus still drives on the streets.
With different lovers in it. Heading home
or nowhere.
@l23amcom74
Happy 25th anniversary, Souvlaki!
A failure when it was released in 1993,yet thanks to the internet and its influences on important bands(Spiritualized,Beach House...), it has gained respect over time. So much that it has earned its place in the holy trinity of shoegaze (Loveless,Souvlaki and Nowhere). Untouchable albums and completely essential for those who want to enter into the shoegaze genre.
Its success nowadays is well deserved, receiving your prize after disappearing for two decades.
Not an album for its time but a hidden message between the grunge and britpop scenes for the new generations to come,enjoy and listen to it religiously.
Congratulations!
@grantk1n_791
Music truly is the greatest achievement of mankind
@damianreynoso2705
Seriously bro
@Jacob-Laeby
Indeed it is. The most advanced form of communication we humans are capable of. Sadly most are oblivious to that fact.
@descendingforth
So painfully true.
@osamaqtaitat
@@descendingforth why “painfully”?
@Areezle
@@osamaqtaitat I think maybe because with all of technolgical advancements that we have achieved (some of them being utlilized for negative purposes), music is still the one of the purest and honest depictions of our human condition.
@luadmo4117
this sound feels like the soundtrack to a horrible time in your life, but a time that you look back on and miss because it's gone
@chrismc1975
Yeah my teens… I’m nearly 50 now. So many seasons ago
@inahaze76
It was a horrible time in my life when this song came out in 1993 or '94. I was 17 or 18. I wish I had known about Slowdive back then.
@highspeedtarantado
You said it so well