Photo by Parri Thomas
Slowdive, the iconic shoegaze ensemble, has pulled back the curtain on their eagerly awaited fifth studio album, Everything Is Alive, set for release on September 1st via Dead Oceans. The band has also introduced their latest single, “Kisses”, and revealed an ambitious tour for 2023
The inception of Everything Is Alive dates back to the fall of 2020, with the band embarking on a two-year recording journey across the UK. The album, produced by lead guitarist-songwriter Neil Halstead, was partially crafted in his home studio, with six of the eight tracks benefiting from the expertise of Grammy-winning engineer Shawn Everett.
The record is a heartfelt tribute to Rachel Goswell’s mother and drummer Simon Scott’s father, both of whom passed away in 2020. Goswell shared in a statement, “There were some profound shifts for some of us personally,” alluding to processing the life-changing losses. The album is a sonic exploration of life and hope, reflecting the deep personal transitions experienced by the band members. Despite the undercurrent of melancholy, the album is a beacon of hope, encapsulating an overarching sense of thankfulness. Goswell further added, “Those crossroads are reflected in the many-layered emotional tenor of Slowdive’s music; ‘Everything Is Alive’ is heavy with experience, but each note is poised, wise, and necessarily pitched to hope. Its unique alchemy subtly embodies both sadness and gratitude, groundedness and uplift.”
Neil Halstead also shared his thoughts on the album: “It wouldn’t feel right to make a really dark record right now. The album is quite eclectic emotionally, but it does feel hopeful.”
The music video for the album’s lead single, “Kisses,” is a dreamlike journey through Naples. It features a young protagonist driving around the city with various passengers on the back of their scooter, with the backdrop of notable landmarks such as the Castel Sant’Elmo, football murals, and Mt Vesuvius.
On filming “Kisses,” the director Noel Paul stated: “If this video evokes emotion, it’s largely due to our excellent cast. In particular Charlie and Claudia, two courageous and beautiful souls who threw themselves into their roles and set a tone of fearless vulnerability.
Watch the video for “Kisses” below:
In addition to her work with Slowdive, Rachel Goswell has been part of the supergroup Beachy Head. This collective, formed by members of Slowdive, Flaming Lips, The Soft Cavalry, and Casket Girls, includes Goswell and Christian Savill from Slowdive, Matt Duckworth from Flaming Lips, Ryan Graveface from Casket Girls, and Steve Clarke from The Soft Cavalry. Their eponymous debut album was launched in April 2021 via Graveface’s own record label.
Goswell also recently joined forces with Drab Majesty for their EP, An Object in Motion, contributing her ethereal vocals to the first single, “Vanity.”
Slowdive’s 2023 tour is set to span the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and North America, including a debut performance at Glastonbury. The North American leg of the tour will kick off in Toronto on September 23rd, with performances in cities like New York, Chicago, DC, Philadelphia, San Franciso, and Seattle, before wrapping up in Los Angeles on October 14th.
Tickets for all dates go on sale Friday, June 23 at 10 AM local time. For more info, go to slowdiveofficial.com.
Pre-Order Everything Is Alive HERE.
Tracklist:
01. shanty
02. prayer remembered
03. alife
04. andalucia plays
05. kisses
06. skin in the game
07. chained to a cloud
08. the slab
Slowdive 2023 Tour Dates:
06/24 – Exeter, UK @ Phoenix
06/25 – Somerset, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
07/17 – Perth, AU @ Astor Theatre
07/19 – Brisbane, AU @ Princess Theatre
07/21 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre
07/22 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum
07/23 – Adelaide, AU @ Hindley St. Music Hall
07/26 – Auckland, NZ @ Powerstation
07/29 – Niigata Prefecture, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival
08/05 – Mysłowice, PL @ Off Festival
08/11 – Sicily, IT @ Ypsigrock Festival
08/18 – Brecon Beacon, UK @ Green Man Festival
09/23 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
09/25 – Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston
09/27 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
09/28 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
09/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
09/30 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/02 – Cleveland, OH @ The Roxy @ Mahall’s
10/03 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
10/04 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
10/06 – Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
10/07 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union
10/09 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/10 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
10/12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
10/30 – Glasgow, UK @ QMU
10/31 – Manchester, UK @ Ritz
11/01 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
11/03 – London, UK @ Troxy
11/05 – Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall
11/06 – Dublin, IR @ National Stadium
Death, in literature and myth, has always danced a waltz with romance. It swept Eurydice away from Orpheus’s desperate arms…
He paints on a smile, the pleasure is mutual Attack of denial, be still, it’s only for the wild Bands…
if I could change things I would but it still was your choice hiding making your love look absent as…
I’ve been swimming in an ocean of tears I went swimming in all of my fears And every day is…
Our entire life Was like a spell of beauty and despair This old delusion Hectic with our own selfish thirst…
Yesterday is history And today is just misery So we say "Long live the King" Oh, he ruined everything Hailing…