The Resurgence Of Shoegaze

Shoegaze is a genre best described as a dreamy indie-esque rock based around its distorted sound. The genre emerged from 1980’s uk, where neo-psychedelic groups stood aloof, gazing down at their instruments, hence the sound being coined shoegaze. The heavy use of pedals made for a dreamy performance, and the sound was so new that the genre is described using adjectives like space, noise, and psychedelic. Bands like My bloody valentine and Cocteau twins popularized the sound in alternative pop and rock scenes, and recently shoegaze music has been exploding in online spaces. 

So, what came between the genre's height in the nineties and it’s resurgence in the late 2010’s? Well, the community as a whole came under criticism, being coined “The Scene That Celebrates Itself”. Chalked up to self-indulgent and privileged artists, the scene began to decline. Another factor that seemed to put shoegaze in the ground was the artists who popularized the sound going stagnant. Without influence, the culture died out.

Now, a new generation is ready to dive into the world of shoegaze. Social media wasn’t around for the first height of the genre, so the spread of bands like My Bloody Valentine on the platforms of tiktok and twitter have exponentially grown the fan base surrounding the dream pop subgenre. It’s no surprise that the distant and existential sound is connecting with so many kids, especially when the pandemic is factored in. The other-worldly nature of the music provides a sort of escape from reality for most listeners.

A culture surrounded by awkward angst seems pretty fitting for a post-pandemic coming of age story. So give in to the dreamy distortion, and give shoegaze bands like Slowdive and Lush a listen.