I'm writing a book about shoegaze!

It's true! I'm writing the definitive book on shoegaze music. Let me give you the lowdown.

My book will tell the whole story of the genre, from its roots in the UK underground in the late Eighties/early Nineties, to its retreat from the zeitgeist in the late Nineties/2000s, to its unexpected comeback in America during the 2010s, and then its unprecedented worldwide explosion in the 2020s. The working title is "When the Sun Hits" (yes, like the Slowdive song), but that's liable to change by the time it's released. It's due to arrive in spring 2026 via St. Martin's Publishing Group, which is a division of Macmillan Publishers.

The book will be a write-through narrative that'll include first-hand interviews with crucial shoegaze architects. So not an oral history, but more than just my own version of the genre's story. My goal is to properly document the remarkable trajectory of one of the most singular genres in music history, and do so in a way that's as entertaining to read as it is informative. All the big bands will be covered, as well as many of the smaller ones. I'll delve into its knotty relationship with the press, its odd resurgence on TikTok, and the many ways in which technology has molded its sound and culture. It'll be a long and thorough book, because that's what the genre deserves.

I've been a working music journalist for seven years, and this is already, by far, the most challenging project I've ever taken on. I also know that it will be the most rewarding thing I've ever done, and I cannot wait to properly get started. In the meantime, I'll be keeping this blog active as best as possible, and likely offering updates on my book along the way. Obviously, I already cover shoegaze here a great deal, and I plan to continue doing so while I write this sucker. At first, I might be a little less consistent than I have been on delivering bigger features, but I hope to settle into a routine where I'm still able to publish one bigger article every week/two weeks, and then my Chasing Fridays criticism roundup at the end of every workweek.

I'd like to thank every single Chasing Sundays subscriber (all 1000+ of you!) for following my work, and a special thank you to those who are subscribed to the $5/month tier. Sadly, this book won't make me rich, so every paid subscriber is directly supporting my ability to keep writing my full-time job, which in turn makes my writing better and more thoughtful, because I can then afford to dedicate the time I need to do good work. So truly, thank you.

Alright, time to go get started on this goddamn book. I'll leave you with "Off Your Face" by My Bloody Valentine, which is quite possibly their best song.