Fresh off of Slowdive’s reunion back in 2019, guitarist Christian Saville used his post-tour downtime to experiment with sounds that were too pop oriented for his beloved shoegaze group. By enlisting help from members of The Flaming Lips, The Soft Cavalry, and Casket Girls, he subsequently formed the new supergroup Beachy Head. Today, the group has released its debut self-titled album on band member Ryan Graveface’s Graveface Records.
As detailed in a statement on Bandcamp, Saville sent out sketches of his new songs to Graveface (Casket Girls) and The Soft Cavalry’s Steve Clarke (husband of Slowdive vocalist Rachel Goswell) just ahead of the pandemic. Graveface and Saville were lucky enough to be able to record the foundational tracks in Savannah, Georgia two weeks before COVID brought the world to a halt.
The album was then fleshed out in between lockdowns, with Clarke contributing background vocals and supplemental instrumentation from the UK, and The Flaming Lips drummer Matthew Duckworth working stateside. Goswell tied the project together by providing some final vocals on a number of songs.
The band preluded their debut album with the lead single “Destroy Us” back in March. Now, you can stream the whole eight-track below.
Beachy Head Artwork:
Beachy Head Tracklist:
01. Warning Bell
02. Michael
03. Distraction
04. All Gone
05. Looking for Exits
06. October
07. Hiddensee
08. Destroy Us
