Who invented the music genre shoegaze?
If you’re into indie and alternative music, you’ve probably heard the word “shoegaze” being thrown around more and more over the last few years. The genre has experienced a full-blown revival in the 2020s, reinvigorating the guitar genre with pedal-laden strums and walls of feedback. But who first coined the term shoegaze? And which bands were instrumental in its early development?
The genre is often said to derive its name from the tendency of shoegaze artists to pack their pedalboards in as tightly as possible, adding endless distortion and riffs to their strums. As a result, many shoegaze bands spend most of their time on stage looking downwards, gazing down at their shoes — or, more accurately, at their pedalboards. A number of critics claim to have coined the term back in the 1990s, including Andy Ross and Moose magazine, but they didn’t invent the music itself.
The origins of the genre may depend on how strict your definition of shoegaze music is. Before the genre experienced a full-blown boom in the 1990s, albeit overshadowed by the giants of Britpop and grunge, a number of artists showed shoegaze leanings in their sound. The Cocteau Twins, for example, predated the birth of shoegaze, making records full of dreamy ambience from the early 1980s.
Similarly, Scottish alt-rockers The Jesus and Mary Chain preempted the genre with their shoegaze-adjacent sounds. Throughout the 1980s, they created a noisy, echoey version of guitar music that could be seen as formative in the creation of the genre. Slightly later on in the 1980s, artists like A.R. Kane brought this shoegazing style together with more trip-hop and experimental influences.
All of these artists were instrumental in paving the way for the genre. But now, most people see 1990s shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Slowdive as the pioneers of the genre. They committed entirely to distortion and to fuzz, burying their guitars under layers of effects until they became almost indistinguishable.
Many people consider My Bloody Valentine’s sophomore offering, 1991’s Loveless, to be the defining shoegaze release. It’s a torrent of noise sitting on the heavier side of the genre, and it has been continually referenced by modern shoegazers. Others have fought for the pioneering impact of Slowdive’s offering from a year later, Souvlaki, which provided a slightly softer take on the genre.
So, what exactly is shoegaze music?
So, what is shoegaze? The genre lends its name to a certain kind of atmospheric guitar music that utilises effects pedals, fuzz and feedback to create a wall of sound. The lyrics often blend into the instrumentation, becoming a part of the ambience. The term initially referred to the scene that spawned from the 1990s, to My Bloody Valentine and to Slowdive, but the genre has experienced a revival in the past few years.
A number of contemporary bands have looked to emulate the fuzzy guitar music that first emerged in the 1990s, always adding to their pedalboards and playing with distortion. Bands such as Bdrmm, Just Mustard, and Feeble Little Horse are keeping the genre alive in the modern day, ensuring that the so-called scene that celebrates itself is celebrated by the many.
Some bands have blended the genre with other stylings, such as Leeds-based Bug Teeth, who pull in electronic influences, and Parannoul and Shane, who pair shoegaze with emo leanings. The meaning of the genre seems to be evolving with the times, finding new ways to appeal to modern audiences.
So, who are the defining shoegaze band?
The answer to that question will depend entirely on who you ask. Those who prefer the heavier walls of distortion and recognise the mammoth impact of Loveless will likely declare My Bloody Valentine as the ultimate shoegaze outfit, but others would suggest that Slowdive had a more formative impact on the genre.
Some might even look further back to the very first origins of the genre, to the glimpses of shoegaze that existed in dream-pop and alternative rock scenes years prior. Really, shoegaze is continually being defined and redefined as new artists rework the genre. Every band that has kept their eyes firmly glued to their pedalboard has worked to define shoegaze.
