What is shoegaze? History, bands, and key characteristics

The first time I heard shoegaze music, I was about four years old.

Drop Nineteens’ “Delaware” was featured on The Adventures of Pete and Pete, and I was immediately drawn to the track’s gliding guitar tones, melting vocal harmonies, and moodiness. This set the tone for the rest of my life and interest in music.

I’m hoping this article reads in part like a love letter to a genre that changed me, rather than a strict instruction manual—but I promise to dive into the technical side of this genre as well as its ethereal and elusive qualities.

What you’ll learn

What is shoegaze?

Shoegaze is a genre of music that evolved from a mix of rock and roll, goth, post punk, and twee. It can be defined sonically by its more common chord voicings, some effect pedals, and its raw and soft-focused vocals—but the most important part of the genre is the feelings that it elicits. Nostalgia, melancholy, and longing are all synonymous with shoegaze. Wrap those feelings in noise and reverb, and you have a basic shoegaze recipe.

Why is it called ‘shoegaze?’

The term ‘shoegaze’ was coined by a music journalist, who after attending a Moose concert noticed that the band was staring at their effects pedals and lyrics on the floor rather than engaging with the audience; they appeared to be gazing at their shoes.
It should be noted that the UK press didn’t take kindly to this more introspective kind of artist, often mocking the genre’s most influential bands. At the time, music outlets were busy praising the up-and-coming rockstar aura of britpop. The act of shoegazing just seemed pretentious and self-indulgent to them in comparison.

The history of shoegaze

Shoegaze started in the UK in the 1980s, but it seems we can’t help but return to it every decade with something new and beautiful to offer. Let’s start from the beginning.

Shoegaze’s origins and pioneers

The exact origin of shoegaze is debated, but we can say the genre was solidified in both Scotland and Ireland in the early to mid-1980s.
The 1982 record Garlands by Cocteau Twins opened a sonic palette for the genre, and even further emphasized its sound with their 1983 follow-up record Head Over Heels, with tracks like “Sugar Hiccup” and “In Our Angelhood.”

In 1985, we have The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Psychocandy, which underlines the classic ’60s rock and roll influence of the genre, eternalized in the track “Just Like Honey.” In this song, you’ll find everything that defines shoegaze: longing vocals, reverb-soaked drums and bass, and blown-out guitar lines that are both dreamy and understated. It mixes noise and beauty perfectly.

Last but far from least, we have my bloody valentine. Between 1987 – 1989, the band dropped multiple genre-bending releases. There’s Strawberry Wine, in which the title track expands shoegaze to a place alongside twee and Paisley Underground with jangly guitars and haunting archaic pop vocals that you could easily imagine in the same club as bands like Strawberry Alarm Clock. This was followed by releases such as you made me realise and feed me with your kiss, in which they wielded their noise rock and no wave influences into a driving explosive whir.

Characteristics of shoegaze music

There are countless ways to make shoegaze music, but here are some of the most recognizable characteristics of the genre:

  1. I can’t emphasize enough how common it is for the vocals to be the least focused part of the mix. Shoegaze vocals are ethereal and dreamy, and although we want thoughtful and introspective lyrics, the vocals sit deep in the mix to bring you in close.
  2. Understated hooks are another key characteristic. Often, amazing shoegaze tracks have very simplistic lead lines played on guitars or synths. Here are three examples of guitar or synth melodies that are fairly simple but highly effective:
  3. You don’t have to be a music theory expert by any means to become a shoegazer, but it helps to recognize some of the common chords that are used. Major and minor ninth chords are all over modern and classic shoegaze.

Shoegaze bands and artists

I would be doing a massive disservice if I said this was every shoegaze band that ever existed. However, I’ll try my best to list my favorites and those that I think represent a good chunk of the genre as well as each subgenre.

Classic shoegaze albums

Shoegaze classics come from all over and have been around for decades. Here are some of my personal favorites from the golden age of shoegaze, the ’80s and ’90s:

Modern shoegaze revival

Luckily for us, shoegaze is more popular than ever—here are some modern favorites:

Subgenres of shoegaze

Like any great genre, shoegaze has a ton of subgenres. Here are a few you should definitely check out:

Japanese shoegaze

With nostalgia ruling all, it makes sense that Japanese artists excelled in shoegaze. Here are a few you should definitely check out:

Ambient shoegaze

Here are some notable artists and tracks:

Blackgaze

Here’s a short list of blackgaze to check out:

Grunge vs. shoegaze

Grunge and shoegaze share qualities on the surface. To me, shoegaze was just as much of a reaction to pop music of the times while indulging in underground culture and a throwback to the psychedelic era.

Post rock vs. shoegaze

Post rock has been around longer than shoegaze, but they share a lot of the same influences and characteristics.

Nugaze vs nu-gaze

Nugaze was first coined in the early 2000s in regards to one of the many shoegaze revivals happening at the time.

How to make shoegaze music

While by no means exhaustive, below are a few techniques you can use to start making your own shoegaze music:

  • Glide guitar technique
  • Programmed or live drums

It goes without saying that I inevitably missed a ton of shoegaze bands, but hopefully this article gave you a solid starting point to exploring shoegaze music.