My Bloody Valentine is an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1983. The lineup of the band comprises Kevin Shields (vocals, guitar), Colm Ó Cíosóig (drums), Debbie Googe (bass) and Bilinda Butcher (vocals, guitar). They are widely regarded as pioneers of the shoegaze genre. Their work is characterised by distorted guitar textures, subdued androgynous vocals, and unorthodox production techniques.

Following several unsuccessful early releases and membership changes, My Bloody Valentine signed to Creation Records in 1988. The band released several successful extended plays (EPs) on the label, and the albums Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991). The latter is often regarded as the band's magnum opus and a landmark album in shoegaze, though the band were dropped by Creation after its release due to the album's extensive production costs.

In 1992, My Bloody Valentine signed to Island Records and recorded several albums' worth of unreleased material, remaining largely inactive. Googe and Ó Cíosóig left the band in 1995, and were followed by Butcher and Shields in 1997. They reunited in 2007 for a world tour and released a compilation album in 2012. Their third album, (2013), received critical acclaim and was supported by further touring.

History

Formation and early releases

In 1978, Kevin Shields and Colm Ó Cíosóig were introduced to each other at a karate 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 band, with Liam Ó Maonlaí, Ó Cíosóig's friend from Coláiste Eoin. The band, who performed "a handful of gigs" consisting of Sex Pistols and Ramones songs, disbanded when Ó Maonlaí left to form Hothouse Flowers. Shields and Ó Cíosóig later formed A Life in the Day, a post-punk trio, but failed to secure performances with more than a hundred people present.

My Bloody Valentine experienced a number of lineup 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's parents' home in Killiney. 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, the lead vocalist of the post-punk band Virgin Prunes. According to Shields, Conway approached Friday in Finglas, 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, Netherlands. The band relocated to the Netherlands after the show and lived there for a further nine months, opening for R.E.M. 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, Germany in late 1984 and recorded their debut mini album, This Is Your Bloody Valentine, released in 1985. The album failed to receive much attention, and the band returned temporarily to the Netherlands before settling in London that same year.

Recruitment of Googe and Butcher

Following their relocation to London in 1985, members of My Bloody Valentine lost contact with each other while looking for accommodation, and Tina Durkin, doubting her abilities as a keyboard player, left the band. 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."

Breakthrough with Isn't Anything and Loveless

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," Rough Trade Records offered a deal to finance the recording and release of a full-length album, but the band turned it down. 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, 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" bands, who according to AllMusic, "worked off the template My Bloody Valentine established with [the album]."

In February 1989, My Bloody Valentine began recording their second studio album at Blackwing Studios in Southwark, 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, including Alan Moulder, 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, which was another critical success and topped the UK Indie Chart.

Released in November 1991, Loveless 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 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, Smashing Pumpkins, Mogwai, Nine Inch Nails and more. It also retrospectively won the Mojo Award for Classic Album in 2008.

Unrealised deal and breakup

My Bloody Valentine signed with Island Records in October 1992 for a reported £250,000 contract. The band's advance went toward the construction of a home studio in Streatham, South London, which was completed in April 1993. Several technical problems with the studio sent the band into a "semi-meltdown," according to Shields, who was rumoured to be suffering from writer's block. and a cover of "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" by Wire 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 and Moonshake. Ó Cíosóig relocated to the United States, forming Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions with Hope Sandoval 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 of the Beach Boys and Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd. and recorded songs for the soundtrack to the 2003 film Lost in Translation.

Rumours have spread among fans that an album's 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,

Reunion and world tour

thumb|My Bloody Valentine performing in 2009

In August 2007, reports emerged suggesting that My Bloody Valentine would reunite for the 2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, 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-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 the summer and autumn of 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, Japan. From 19 to 21 September, the band curated and performed at the 2008 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. 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 Japan's web site, recirculated. In March 2012, after a number of reported delays, 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.

m b v and beyond

thumb|My Bloody Valentine performing in Manchester, 2013

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 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.

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. He was reported in 2017 to be working on material for a new My Bloody Valentine album, 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.

On 29 March 2021, My Bloody Valentine published a promotional video which features the cover art of previous releases and 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, and CD and LP re-releases were announced 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.

After a seven-year hiatus, My Bloody Valentine reformed for a worldwide tour beginning in November 2025. That same month, the band removed most of their work from streaming services in Israel as part of the No Music for Genocide boycott.

Artistry

Musical style

My Bloody Valentine's music has been described as shoegaze, dream pop, and experimental rock with influences from alternative rock and post-punk.

Influences

My Bloody Valentine's musical style progressed throughout their career. The band was originally influenced by post-punk acts such as 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 gothic rock sound that AllMusic refer 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 Byrdsian rock" with their two successive releases, "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, 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 sampled sounds employed by 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." In the mid-1990s, Kevin Shields and Colm Ó Cíosóig recorded music influenced by the rapid rhythms of the UK's underground 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 Jazzmasters; extending the tremolo arm and using it to pitch bend, which subsequently became a signature element of the band's sound. Shields used several alternate and open tunings Shields' most notable effect is reverse digital reverb, sourced from an Alesis Midiverb II or Yamaha SPX90 effects unit. Together with the tremolo manipulation and distortion, he created a technique known as "glide guitar".

Shields effects rig, which is mainly composed of distortion, graphic equalizers and tone controls, consists of at least 30 effects pedals 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." 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.

Lyrics

A majority of My Bloody Valentine's lyrics are written by Shields, while Butcher wrote a third of the lyrics on both Isn't Anything and Loveless. The band's releases on Creation Records influenced shoegaze acts, including Slowdive, Ride and 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 (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.

Among the bands and artists that have cited My Bloody Valentine as an influence include Deftones, American Football, Mogwai, Oneohtrix Point Never, Brand New, Thursday, the Notwist, Naked Giants, 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 – vocals, guitars, bass, sampler (1983–1997, 2007–present)
  • Colm Ó Cíosóig – drums, sampler (1983–1995, 2007–present)
  • Debbie Googe – bass (1985–1995, 2007–present)
  • Bilinda Butcher – vocals, guitars (1987–1997, 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)
  • Paul Murtagh – bass (1983–1984)
  • Tina Durkin – keyboards (1984–1985)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

  • Isn't Anything (1988)
  • Loveless (1991)
  • m b v (2013)

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

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