My Bloody Valentine (band)
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My Bloody Valentine are an Irish
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band formed in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
in 1983 and consisting of founding members
Kevin Shields Kevin Patrick Shields (born 21 May 1963) is an Irish musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine (band), My Bloody Valenti ...
(vocals, guitar, sampler) and
Colm Ó Cíosóig Colm Ó Cíosóig (; born 31 October 1964) is an Irish musician and songwriter, who achieved international fame as the drummer for the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. Their studio albums '' Isn't Anything'' (1988) and ''Loveless'' ...
(drums, sampler), with Bilinda Butcher (vocals, guitar) and Debbie Googe (bass). Their work is characterized by distorted guitar textures, subdued
androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...
vocals, and unorthodox production techniques. They are widely cited as a pioneering act in the
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...
genre. Following several unsuccessful early releases and membership changes, My Bloody Valentine signed to
Creation Records Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although ...
in 1988. The band released several successful EPs and the albums '' Isn't Anything'' (1988) and ''
Loveless Loveless may refer to: Comics and literature * Loveless (comics), ''Loveless'' (comics), a comic book series by Brian Azzarello, Marcelo Frusin, Danijel Zezelj, and Werther Dell'Edera * Loveless (manga), ''Loveless'' (manga), a manga series by Y ...
'' (1991) on the label; the latter is often described as their
magnum opus A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...
. However, My Bloody Valentine were dropped by Creation after its release due to the album's extensive production costs. In 1992, the band signed to
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
and recorded several albums worth of unreleased material, remaining largely inactive. Googe and Ó Cíosóig left the band in 1995; they were followed by Butcher in 1997. Unable to complete a follow-up to ''Loveless'', Shields isolated himself and, in his own words, "went crazy". In 2007, My Bloody Valentine reunited and subsequently embarked on a world tour. They released the compilation '' EP's 1988–1991'' in 2012. Their long-delayed third studio album, , was released in 2013 to critical acclaim and was supported by further touring.


History


1978–1985: Formation

In 1978,
Kevin Shields Kevin Patrick Shields (born 21 May 1963) is an Irish musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine (band), My Bloody Valenti ...
and
Colm Ó Cíosóig Colm Ó Cíosóig (; born 31 October 1964) is an Irish musician and songwriter, who achieved international fame as the drummer for the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. Their studio albums '' Isn't Anything'' (1988) and ''Loveless'' ...
were introduced to each other at a
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
tournament in South Dublin. The duo became friends in what has been described as "an almost overnight friendship" and later formed the Complex, a
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
band, with Liam Ó Maonlaí, Ó Cíosóig's friend from Coláiste Eoin. The band, who performed "a handful of gigs" consisting of
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
and
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
songs, disbanded when Ó Maonlaí left to form Hothouse Flowers. Shields and Ó Cíosóig later formed A Life in the Day, a
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
trio, but failed to secure performances with more than a hundred people present. Following A Life in the Day's dissolution, Shields and Ó Cíosóig formed My Bloody Valentine in early 1983 with bass player Mark Loughlin (nowadays recording as The Engineer) and lead vocalist David Conway. Conway, who performed under the pseudonym Dave Stelfox, suggested a number of potential band names, including the Burning Peacocks and performed a single gig under that name before the quartet changed the name to My Bloody Valentine. At the time the band saw the trailer for My Bloody Valentine on a rented VHS movie that they were watching during downtime on a weekend rehearsal at Kevin Shields parents home. Subsequently Shields has claimed he was unaware that My Bloody Valentine was the title of a 1981 Canadian slasher film when the name was suggested. Second guitarist Stephen Ivers also joined the band at this time My Bloody Valentine experienced a number of line-up changes during their initial months. Lead guitarist Stephen Ivers and bassist Loughlin were recruited in April 1983 and the band would often rehearse near Smithfield and Temple Bar in rehearsal spaces owned by Alan Furlong. Walsh, who booked some of the band's early performances, said the rehearsals were "too noisy" and "crazy" that "next door were giving out hell". Loughlin left the band in December 1983 and was replaced by Paul Murtagh, who left the band in early 1984. In March 1984, Shields, Ivers and Conway recorded the band's first demo on a four-track recorder in Shields' parents' home in
Killiney Killiney () is an affluent coastal suburb on the southside of Dublin, Ireland. It lies south of Dalkey, east and northeast of Ballybrack and Sallynoggin and north of Shankill, in the local government area of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown within ...
. Shields and Ó Cíosóig overdubbed bass and drum tracks at Litton Lane Studios, and the tape was later used to secure a contract with Tycoon Records. Soon after recording the demo, Ivers left My Bloody Valentine and Conway's girlfriend, Tina Durkin, joined as a keyboard player. Around this time, Conway, on the suggestion of Shields, contacted
Gavin Friday Gavin Friday (born Fionán Martin Hanvey, 8 October 1959) is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter, best known as a founding member of the post-punk group The Virgin Prunes. Early life Fionan Hanvey was born in Dublin an ...
, the lead vocalist of the post-punk band Virgin Prunes. According to Shields, Conway approached Friday in
Finglas Finglas (; ) is a northwestern outer suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It lies close to Junction 5 of the M50 motorway (Ireland), M50 motorway, and the N2 road (Ireland), N2 road. Nearby suburbs include Glasnevin and Ballymun; Du ...
, asked him for advice and was told to "get out of Dublin." Shields agreed with the advice, commenting in January 1991 that "there was no room for us" in Ireland; Ó Cíosóig explained that the Irish music scene was not receptive to their style. Friday provided the band with contacts that secured them a show in
Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...
, Netherlands. The band relocated to the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
after the show and lived there for a further nine months, opening for
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
on one occasion on 8 April 1984. Due to a lack of opportunities and a lack of correct documentation, the band relocated to
West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...
, Germany in late 1984 and recorded their debut mini album, '' This Is Your Bloody Valentine'' (1985). The album failed to receive much attention and the band returned temporarily to the Netherlands, before settling in London in the middle of 1985.


1985–1986: Independent releases

Following their relocation to London in 1985, members of My Bloody Valentine lost contact with each other while looking for accommodation and Tina Durkin, not confident in her abilities as a keyboard player, left the band. When the remaining three members regained contact with one another, the band decided to audition bassists, as they lacked a regular bassist since their formation. Shields acquired Debbie Googe's telephone number from a contact in London, invited her to audition and subsequently recruited her as a bassist. Googe managed to attend rehearsals, which were centered around her day job. Rehearsal sessions were regularly held at Salem Studios, which was connected to the independent record label Fever Records. The label's management were impressed with the band and agreed to release an
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
, provided the band would finance the recording sessions themselves. Released in December 1985, '' Geek!'' failed to reach the band's expectations; however, soon after its release, My Bloody Valentine were performing on the London gig circuit, alongside bands such as Eight Living Legs, Kill Ugly Pop and The Sting-rays. Due to the band's slow progress, Shields contemplated relocating to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where members of his family were living at the time. However,
Creation Records Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although ...
co-founder Joe Foster had decided to establish his own record label, Kaleidoscope Sound and persuaded My Bloody Valentine to record and release an EP. '' The New Record by My Bloody Valentine'', produced by Foster, was released in October 1986 and was a minor success, peaking at number 22 on the
UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the ...
upon its release. On the strength of the release, the band began performing more frequent shows, later developing a small following and travelling outside London for live performances, supporting and opening for bands such as The Membranes.


1987: Lazy Records and Butcher's recruitment

In early 1987, My Bloody Valentine signed to Lazy Records, another independent record label, which was founded by the
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
band
the Primitives The Primitives are an English indie pop band from Coventry, best known for their 1988 international hit single "Crash (The Primitives song), Crash". Formed in 1984, disbanded in 1992 and reformed in 2009, the band's two constant members throu ...
and their manager, Wayne Morris. My Bloody Valentine's first release on the label was the single " Sunny Sundae Smile", released in February 1987. It peaked at number 6 on the UK Indie Singles Chart and the band toured following its release. After a number of performances throughout the U.K., the band managed to secure a support slot with
the Soup Dragons The Soup Dragons are a Scottish alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television series ''Clangers'', the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones' song " I'm Fre ...
, but on that tour in March 1987, David Conway announced his decision to leave the band, citing a gastric illness, disillusionment with music and ambitions to become a writer. Conway's departure left the band without a lead vocalist, and Shields, Ó Cíosóig and Googe advertised in the local music press for a new singer. The audition process, which Shields described as "disastrous and excruciating," was unsuccessful because he had mentioned
the Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
in the advertisements "because eliked their melodies," attracting a number of vocalists whom he called "fruitballs." Although considering forming another group, the band experimented with vocalists Bilinda Butcher and Joe Byfield, both of whom had been recommended to the band by other musicians. Butcher, whose musical experience consisted of playing classical guitar as a child and singing and playing tambourine "with some girlfriends for fun," had learned that My Bloody Valentine needed a backing vocalist from her partner, who had met Ó Cíosóig on a ferry from the Netherlands. At her audition, she sang " The Bargain Store," a song from
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
's 1975 album of the same name. She was invited to join the group, with Byfield deemed unsuitable as a lead vocalist. Following Butcher's recruitment, Shields shared lead vocals with her. Commenting on the transition, Shields noted that Butcher "sounded all right and she could sing one of our songs, we just had to show her how to play guitar." Shields was initially reluctant to take on a vocal role within the band, but said that he had "always sung in the rehearsal room ..and made up the melodies." With the new lineup in place, the band intended to drop the My Bloody Valentine moniker, but according to Ó Cíosóig and Shields, the band was unable to decide on a name and kept the moniker "for better or for worse." Under pressure from Lazy Records to release a full-length album, the band compromised and agreed to release a single and subsequent mini-album, citing the need for time to stabilize their new lineup. " Strawberry Wine", a three-track single, was released in November 1987 and '' Ecstasy'' was released a month later. Both received moderate critical acclaim, and peaked at number 13 and 12 on the independent singles and albums chart, respectively. However, "Strawberry Wine" was described as "certainly the better of the two releases", as ''Ecstasy'' was plagued by production difficulties, including errors in the mastering process. ''Ecstasy'' was criticised as the product of "a group who appeared to have run out of money halfway through recording," which was later confirmed, as the band were funding the studio sessions themselves. My Bloody Valentine's contract with Lazy stated that the label would handle promotion of releases, whereas the band would finance the recording sessions. Following their departure from Lazy, which later rereleased "Strawberry Wine" and ''Ecstasy'' on the compilation album '' Ecstasy and Wine'' (1989) without the band's consent,
Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...
offered a deal to finance the recording and release of a full-length album, but the band turned it down.


1988–1991: Creation Records and ''Loveless''

In January 1988, My Bloody Valentine performed in
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
, opening for
Biff Bang Pow! Biff Bang Pow! were an indie pop band from London, England, active between 1983 and 1991, centering on Creation Records boss Alan McGee. History Glaswegian Alan McGee had previously been in the band The Laughing Apple, who released three singl ...
, a band that featured Creation Records founder Alan McGee. After "blowing iff Bang Pow!off the stage," My Bloody Valentine were described as "the Irish equivalent to
Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardc ...
" by McGee, who approached the band after the show and invited them to record and release a single on Creation. The band recorded five songs at a studio in
Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London. The town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and South Woodford to the east, Leyton and Leytonstone to the south, and Tottenham to the west. At ...
,
East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
in less than a week. In August 1988, they released the '' You Made Me Realise'' EP, which was received well by the independent music press and, according to
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
's Nitsuh Abebe, "made critics stand up and take notice of the brilliant things My Bloody Valentine were up to ... it developed some of the stunning guitar sounds that would become the band's trademark." It debuted at number 2 on the UK Indie Chart. Following the success of ''You Made Me Realise'', the band released their debut full-length studio album, '' Isn't Anything'', in November 1988. Recorded in rural
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, the album was a major success, receiving widespread critical acclaim, peaking at number 1 on the UK Indie Chart and influencing a number of "
shoegazing Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volum ...
" bands, who according to AllMusic, "worked off the template My Bloody Valentine established with he album" In February 1989, My Bloody Valentine began recording their second studio album at Blackwing Studios in
Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
, London. Creation Records believed that the album could be recorded "in five days," but it soon "became clear that wasn't going to happen." Following several unproductive months, during which Shields assumed main duties for the musical and technical aspects of the sessions, the band relocated to a total of 19 other studios and hired a number of
engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consider ...
, including
Alan Moulder Alan Moulder (born 11 June 1959) is an English record producer, mixing engineer, and audio engineer. Early life Moulder was born on 11 June 1959 in Boston, Lincolnshire. He was educated at Boston Grammar School. He had an interest in music from ...
, Anjali Dutt and Guy Fixsen. Because of the extensive recording time, Shields and Alan McGee agreed to release another EP, and the band released '' Glider'' in April 1990. Containing the lead single "Soon", the EP peaked at number 2 on the UK Indie Chart and the band toured in the summer of 1990 to support its release. In February 1991, while still recording their second album, My Bloody Valentine released ''
Tremolo In music, ''tremolo'' (), or ''tremolando'' (), is a trembling effect. There are multiple types of tremolo: a rapid repetition of a note, an alternation between two different notes, or a variation in volume. Tremolos may be either ''measured'' ...
'', which was another critical success and topped the UK Indie Chart. Released in November 1991, ''
Loveless Loveless may refer to: Comics and literature * Loveless (comics), ''Loveless'' (comics), a comic book series by Brian Azzarello, Marcelo Frusin, Danijel Zezelj, and Werther Dell'Edera * Loveless (manga), ''Loveless'' (manga), a manga series by Y ...
'' was rumoured to have cost more than £250,000 and bankrupted Creation Records, claims that Shields has denied. Critical reception to ''Loveless'' was nearly unanimous with praise, although the album was not a commercial success; it peaked at number 24 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
but failed to chart internationally. McGee dropped My Bloody Valentine from Creation Records soon after the release of ''Loveless'' because of the album's extensive recording period and his interpersonal problems with Shields. However, ''Loveless'' proved to have a lasting influence, inspiring bands such as
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
,
Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. ...
,
Mogwai Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwa ...
,
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
and more.


1992–1997: Island Records and breakup

My Bloody Valentine signed with
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
in October 1992 for a reported £250,000 contract. The band's advance went toward the construction of a home studio in
Streatham Streatham ( ) is a district in south London, England. Centred south of Charing Cross, it lies mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, with some parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. Streatham was in Surrey ...
,
South London South London is the southern part of Greater London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, Lon ...
, which was completed in April 1993. Several technical problems with the studio sent the band into "semi-meltdown," according to Shields, who was rumoured to have been suffering from
writer's block Writer's block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Writer's block has various degrees of severity, from difficulty in coming ...
. The band remained largely inactive, but they recorded and released two cover songs from 1993 to 1996—a rendering of "
We Have All the Time in the World "We Have All the Time in the World" is a James Bond theme song performed by Louis Armstrong. Its music was composed by John Barry and the lyrics by Hal David. It is a secondary musical theme in the 1969 Bond film '' On Her Majesty's Secret Servic ...
" by
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
for '' Peace Together'' and a cover of "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" by
Wire file:Sample cross-section of high tension power (pylon) line.jpg, Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample d ...
for the tribute album ''Whore: Tribute to Wire''. In 1995, Debbie Googe and Colm Ó Cíosóig left My Bloody Valentine. Googe, who briefly worked as a taxi driver following her departure, formed the indie rock supergroup Snowpony with Katharine Gifford, who also performed with
Stereolab Stereolab are an English people, Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound incorporates repetitive motorik beats with the use of vintage electronic keybo ...
and Moonshake. Ó Cíosóig relocated to the United States, forming
Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions are an American-Irish dream pop band comprising Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star and Colm Ó Cíosóig of My Bloody Valentine (band), My Bloody Valentine. Their first studio album, ''Bavarian Fruit Bread'', was rel ...
with
Hope Sandoval Hope Sandoval (born June 24, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead singer of Mazzy Star and Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions. She has also toured and collaborated with other artists, including the Jesus and Mary Chain and Ma ...
of Mazzy Star. Shields and Butcher attempted to record a third studio album that Shields claimed would be released in 1998. However, unable to finalise a third album, Shields isolated himself and, in his own words, "went crazy," drawing comparisons in the music press to the eccentric behavior of
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
of
the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
and
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Until his departure in 1968, he was Pink Floyd's frontman and primary songwriter, ...
of
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
. Shields later became a touring member of
Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock music, rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie (musician), Jim Beattie (guitar). The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simon ...
, collaborated with a number of artists including
Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (Spanish language, Spanish for "I've got it"; also abbreviated as YLT) is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley ...
, Dinosaur Jr. and Le Volume Courbe and recorded songs for the
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
to the 2003 film '' Lost in Translation''. Rumours have spread among fans that albums worth of material had been recorded and shelved prior to the band's breakup. In 1999, it was reported that Shields had delivered 60 hours of material to Island Records, and Butcher confirmed that there existed "probably enough songs to fill two albums." Shields later admitted that at least one full album of "half-finished" material was abandoned, stating "it was dead. It hadn't got that spirit, that life in it."


2007–2013: Reunion and ''m b v''

In August 2007, reports emerged suggesting that My Bloody Valentine would reunite for the 2008
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...
in
Indio Indio may refer to: Places * Indio, Bovey Tracey, an historic estate in Devon, England * Indio, California, a city in Riverside County, California, United States People with the name * Indio (musician), Canadian musician Gordon Peterson * Índi ...
, California. Similar reports had circulated in 2003 stating that Shields, Butcher and Ó Cíosóig were together in Berlin to rerecord five songs originally recorded for ''Glider'' that would be included in an upcoming box set. In 2007, reports suggested that the band were to perform at a series of Pod Concerts, Pod-organised concerts at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham, Dublin. Shields later confirmed the reunion and said that the band's third studio album, which he had begun recording in 1996, was near completion. Three live shows in the U.K. were announced in November 2007, and on 13 June 2008, My Bloody Valentine performed in public for the first time in 16 years with two live rehearsals at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. My Bloody Valentine embarked upon an extensive worldwide tour throughout summer and autumn 2008. The band performed at European music festivals, including the Roskilde Festival in Roskilde, Denmark, Øyafestivalen in Oslo, Norway and Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Ireland, as well as the Fuji Rock Festival in Niigata Prefecture, Niigata, Japan. From 19 to 21 September, the band curated and performed at the 2008 All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival), All Tomorrow's Parties festival in New York and later performed throughout North America, including dates in Chicago, Toronto, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, Austin. The band spent £200,000 on equipment for their world tour, which was their first since 1992 in support of ''Loveless''. Following additional touring in 2009, My Bloody Valentine dedicated their time to completing their third album. Rumours of a box set, which had circulated in April 2008 following a listing on HMV, HMV Japan's web site, recirculated. In March 2012, after a number of reported delays, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Ireland announced the release of the compilation album '' EP's 1988–1991''—a collection of the band's Creation Records extended plays, singles and unreleased tracks. The compilation album was released on 4 May 2012 along with remastered versions of ''Isn't Anything'' and ''Loveless''. In November 2012, Kevin Shields announced plans to release My Bloody Valentine's third album online before the end of the year. In December, the band announced on Facebook that the album was completed and Audio mastering, mastered, and on 27 January 2013, during a warmup show at Electric Brixton in London, Shields told the audience that the album "might be out in two or three days." The album, titled , was released through the band's official website on 2 February 2013, and the resulting high traffic crashed the site. Upon its release, received "universal acclaim," according to Metacritic, and the band went on a worldwide tour.


2013–present: Future plans

In 2013, Shields announced plans to release a My Bloody Valentine EP "of all-new material," which would be followed by a fourth studio album. In September 2017, it was reported that Shields was working on material for a new My Bloody Valentine album that was projected for release in 2018. As of 2018, two EPs were expected to be released in 2019, but all previously announced release estimates have not been met. In April 2020, American clothing brand Supreme (brand), Supreme announced a collaboration with My Bloody Valentine, licensing the album art of ''Glider'', ''Feed Me With Your Kiss'' and ''Loveless'' for the company's Spring 2020 clothing collection. On 29 March 2021, My Bloody Valentine published a promotional video which features the cover art of previous releases as well as the text ''"31 03"''. On 31 March 2021, it was announced that My Bloody Valentine signed with Domino Recording Company. The band's full discography from 1988 to 2013 was made available on streaming services worldwide for the first time, as well as announcing CD and LP re-releases of their music for 21 May. While promoting My Bloody Valentine's re-releases, Shields confirmed that the band is working on new material, and said that they plan on finishing a melodic, song-oriented album and a more experimental album. In 2022, My Bloody Valentine accused music streaming service Spotify of showing "fake lyrics" which the band called "completely incorrect and insulting". On November 25, 2024, the band announced a one-off concert (its first in seven years) to take place on November 22, 2025 at the 3Arena (Dublin), 3Arena in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. This was further backed on March 28, 2025 by an additional three dates in Manchester, London, and Glasgow, all to take place after the Dublin date. On April 22, 2025, the band announced a show at the Zepp Namba in Osaka, and a show at the Tokyo Garden Theater.


Style


Influences

My Bloody Valentine's musical style progressed throughout their career. The band were originally influenced by
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
acts such as The Birthday Party (band), The Birthday Party, The Cramps and Joy Division; according to author Mike McGonial the band "brought together the least interesting elements" of their influences. They were also influenced by certain dark post-punk bands who were experimenting: "the best of all was Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure and Killing Joke". Their debut mini album, ''This is Your Bloody Valentine'' (1985), incorporated a further gothic rock sound which AllMusic referred to as "unfocused and derivative". However, when the band began experimenting with pop melodies on '' The New Record by My Bloody Valentine'' (1986), it marked "a vital point in the development of their sound", which was influenced primarily by The Jesus and Mary Chain. The band later took a "rarified, effete and poppy approach to The Byrds, Byrdsian rock" with their two successive releases, "Strawberry Wine (EP), Strawberry Wine" and ''Ecstasy'' (1987). ''Isn't Anything'' and its preceding releases were influenced by American bands, most notably the distorted guitar-based noise rock of Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, as well as the experimental dream pop of British group A.R. Kane, during which time Shields developed his trademark guitar techniques. The band were further influenced by dance music and especially hip hop music, hip hop, of which Shields said "it beats the shit out of most rock music when it comes to being experimental, it's been a constant source of inspiration to us." Shield's experimentation with guitar tone would be influenced by Sampling (music), sampled sounds employed by Public Enemy (band), Public Enemy and the Bomb Squad, which Shields described as "half-buried or muted, a real sense of sounds being semi-decayed, or destroyed, but then re-used." The band experimented with sampler (music), samplers around the time of the ''Glider (EP), Glider EP'', utilizing them to play back and manipulate their own guitar feedback and vocals on keyboards; by the time of the ''Tremolo EP'', they had acquired an Akai sampler. In the mid-1990s, Kevin Shields and Colm Ó Cíosóig recorded music influenced by the rapid rhythms of the UK's underground jungle music, jungle and drum and bass scenes.


Sound

One of the most recognisable aspects of My Bloody Valentine's music is Shields' electric guitar sound, which "use[s] texture more than technique to create vivid soundscapes." During the late 1980s, Shields began customising the tremolo systems for his Fender Jaguars and Fender Jazzmaster, Jazzmasters; extending the Vibrato systems for guitar, tremolo arm and loosening it considerably, to allow him to manipulate the arm while strumming chords, which resulted in excessive Portamento, pitch bending. Shields used a number of Scordatura, alternate and open tunings that together with his tremolo manipulation achieved "a strange warping effect that makes the music wander in and out of focus", according to ''Rolling Stone''. Shields' most notable effect is reverse digital Reverberation, reverb, sourced from an Alesis Midiverb II or Yamaha Corporation, Yamaha SPX90 effects unit. Together with the tremolo manipulation and Distortion#Audio distortion, distortion, he created a technique known as "glide guitar". Shields effects rig, which is composed largely of distortion, Equalization (audio)#Graphic equalizer, graphic equalizers and tone controls, consists of at least 30 effects pedals and is connected to a large number of amplifiers, which are often set to maximum volume to increase sustain. During live performances, in the closing song "You Made Me Realise", My Bloody Valentine perform an interlude of noise, which can last for half an hour and often reaches 130 Decibel, dB. Shields later remarked "it was so loud it was like sensory deprivation. We just liked the fact that we could see a change in the audience at a certain point." Bilinda Butcher's vocals have been referred to as a trademark of My Bloody Valentine's sound, alongside Shields' guitar techniques. On a number of occasions during the recording of ''Isn't Anything'' and ''Loveless'', Butcher was awoken and recorded vocals, which she said "influenced [her] sound" by making them "more dreamy and sleepy". The vocals in most My Bloody Valentine's recordings are low in the mix as Shields intended for the vocals to be used as an instrument. Critics have often described the band's vocals as androgynous.


Lyrical themes

My Bloody Valentine's lyrics are mostly written by Shields. However, Butcher wrote a third of the lyrics on both ''Isn't Anything'' and ''Loveless''. ''Spin (magazine), Spin'' writer Simon Reynolds has noted that the band's lyrics often contain sexual themes, which are "a paradoxical blend of force and tenderness". Butcher herself has referred to a lot of the lyrics as "plain nonsense." According to Butcher, she "didn't have a plan and never thought about lyrics until it was time to write them. I just used whatever was in my head for the moment." Some of her lyrics were written as a result of attempting to interpret rough versions of songs Shields had recorded. Butcher has said: "He [Shields] never sang any words on the cassettes I got but I tried to make his sounds into words." Butcher and Shields would often spend eight to ten hours a night writing lyrics, even though few changes actually resulted. Of this, Shields spoke:
Words are extremely important in the sense that we've spent way more time on the lyrics than ever on the music. Music is spontaneous and it's either good or bad so you just take it or leave it. Where lyrics, all the stuff comes out and then we usually just finish them right before we have to sing so it's usually these nights of eight or ten hours just trying to desperately make sure it's going to be as good as possible, even though most of it's there anyway and it's always been there. There's nothing worse than bad lyrics. For me a bad lyric is a lyric that jumps out at you, and that's offensive, it takes you completely away from enjoying the music.


Legacy

My Bloody Valentine are regarded by some as the pioneers of the alternative rock subgenre known as
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...
, a term coined by ''Sounds (magazine), Sounds'' journalists in the 1990s to describe certain bands' "motionless performing style, where they stood on stage and stared at the floor". The band's releases on
Creation Records Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although ...
influenced shoegaze acts, including Slowdive, Ride (band), Ride and Lush (band), Lush, and are regarded as providing a platform to allow the bands to become recognised. Following the release of ''Loveless'' (1991), My Bloody Valentine were "poised for a popular breakthrough", although never achieved mainstream success. However, the band are noted to have been "profoundly influential in the direction of '90s alternative rock", according to AllMusic. In 2017, a study of AllMusic's database indicated My Bloody Valentine as its 26th most frequently cited influence on other artists. Several alternative rock bands have cited My Bloody Valentine as an influence. The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan was influenced by ''Isn't Anything'' upon its release and attempted to recreate its sound on the band's debut album ''Gish (album), Gish'' (1991), particularly the closing track "Daydream" which Corgan described as "a complete rip-off of the My Bloody Valentine sound." The Smashing Pumpkins two successive studio albums, ''Siamese Dream'' (1993) and ''Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness'' (1995), were also influenced by the band. Courtney Love cited the band as an influence on Hole (band), Hole's third album ''Celebrity Skin'' (1998). Other bands and artists that have cited My Bloody Valentine as an influence include American Football (band), American Football, Veruca Salt,
Mogwai Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwa ...
, Oneohtrix Point Never, Thursday (band), Thursday, Naked Giants, Quicksand (American band), Quicksand, and ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Actor Michael Imperioli of ''The Sopranos'' fame has cited My Bloody Valentine as one of his favorite bands, and described seeing them live as "a very profound experience, very physical and very visceral".


Members


Current members

*
Kevin Shields Kevin Patrick Shields (born 21 May 1963) is an Irish musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine (band), My Bloody Valenti ...
 – vocals, guitars, bass, sampler keyboard (1983–1997, 2007–present) *
Colm Ó Cíosóig Colm Ó Cíosóig (; born 31 October 1964) is an Irish musician and songwriter, who achieved international fame as the drummer for the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. Their studio albums '' Isn't Anything'' (1988) and ''Loveless'' ...
 – drums, sampler keyboard (1983–1995, 2007–present) * Bilinda Butcher – vocals, guitars (1987–1997, 2007–present) * Debbie Googe – bass (1985–1995, 2007–present)


Touring musicians

* Anna Quimby – flute (1991–1992) * Jen Macro – keyboards, guitars (2013–present)


Early members

* David Conway – vocals (1983–1987) * Mark Loughlin  – bass (1983) * Stephen Ivers – guitar (1983–1984) * Mark Ross – bass (1984) * Paul Murtagh – bass (1984–1985) * Tina Durkin – keyboards (1984–1985) * Joe Byfield – vocals (1987)


Timeline


Discography

* '' Isn't Anything'' (1988) * ''
Loveless Loveless may refer to: Comics and literature * Loveless (comics), ''Loveless'' (comics), a comic book series by Brian Azzarello, Marcelo Frusin, Danijel Zezelj, and Werther Dell'Edera * Loveless (manga), ''Loveless'' (manga), a manga series by Y ...
'' (1991) * ''m b v'' (2013)


See also

* The Scene That Celebrates Itself * List of alternative rock artists * List of Irish musical groups


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * *


External links

*
Early live footage, c 1991
*
Detailed annotated discography as of 2023

Detailed annotated timeline as of 2023
{{DEFAULTSORT:My Bloody Valentine (Band) My Bloody Valentine (band), 1983 establishments in Ireland Irish alternative rock groups Musical groups from Dublin (city) Musical groups established in 1983 Musical groups disestablished in 1997 Musical groups reestablished in 2007 Irish experimental rock groups Irish musical quartets Irish shoegaze musical groups Irish dream pop musical groups Irish noise pop musical groups Creation Records artists Sire Records artists Sony BMG artists Island Records artists Avant-pop groups Mixed-gender bands 1980s in Irish music 1990s in Irish music 2000s in Irish music 2010s in Irish music 2020s in Irish music