• 1983-

  Kevin ShieldsVocals, guitar1983-

  Bilinda ButcherVocals, guitar1987-

  Colm O Ciosoig Drums1983-

  Debbie GoogeBass1985-

  Joe ByfieldVocals1987

  David ConwayVocals1983-1987

  Tina DurkinKeyboards1984-1985

  Stephen IversGuitar1983-1984

  Paul MurtaghBass1984

  Mark RossBass1983
• Kevin and Colm first met at a karate tournament in South Dublin in 1978. They became fast friends with a shared musical goal: "When Colm and I started out in Dublin years ago we were determined not do anything that wasn't totally original. So we messed around with excruciating noises."
  
  Those noises eventually developed into a groundbreaking genre called shoegazing, known for building walls of sound by using heavy distortion and feedback paired with ethereal vocals, along with the introverted stage presence of band members staring down at their shoes. MBV's second album, Loveless, is hailed as the epitome of the genre.
• They took their name from the 1981 Canadian slasher flick My Bloody Valentine about a killer who wreaks havoc in a mining town on Valentine's Day.
• After the critical success of Loveless, the band scored a deal with Island Records for their follow-up album. However, much of their advance was wasted on building a new and unsatisfactory studio, and the pressure to craft another masterpiece proved to be too much for Kevin. Legend has it, he locked himself away for years in a house surrounded by barbed wire, with only chinchillas to keep him company. Kevin admits to the barbed wire and chinchillas, but claims rumors of his insanity were greatly exaggerated.
• Their follow-up would finally come 22 years later with MBV (2013).
• Kevin and Bilinda were romantically involved throughout the late '80s and early '90s.
• Kevin and Bilinda both developed tinnitus, a type of hearing loss that produces ringing or hissing sounds in the ear, during the mixing of Loveless.
• Kevin on the group's songwriting process (Option, 1992): "It's not like we're thinking, 'Oh, I feel really bad or angry and I want to make something that will represent that. It's done more in a really unfocused sort of way. he only time it makes sense is when it all comes together. When I write lyrics, I take liberties with them because I'm not particularly trying to convey anything to anyone in words. It makes sense to me and gives me enough conviction to sing the songs, but it doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense to other people. That's what all our music is like. It's ambiguous, but in an ethereal, flowy way. It's kind of see-through. And the lyrics are only as substantial as the impression you get from the entire song."
• Since leaving the band in 1987, David Conway has become an author of science fiction/horror novels like Tokyo Gothic (2009) and Celebrity Gotham (2010). He also started his own publishing company, Radical Robot Books.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Old ManRedlight King

Neil Young rarely allows his songs to be sampled, but he let the Canadian group Redlight King use "Old Man" in their 2011 song, also called "Old Man."

LolaThe Kinks

When The Kinks released "Lola," most people didn't realize Lola was a man. "I was dancing with this beautiful blonde, then we went out into the daylight and I saw her stubble," Ray Davies said of the inspiration.

Cum On Feel The NoizeSlade

"Cum On Feel The Noise" was originally recorded by the British glam band Slade in 1973. Quiet Riot had their first hit with the song when they recorded it in 1983.

RaptureBlondie

The first #1 hit with a rap was "Rapture" by Blondie in 1980. Debbie Harry's rhymes left lots of room for improvement.

Body and SoulLibby Holman

When Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse's version of "Body and Soul" made the Hot 100 in 2011, Bennett became, at age 85, the oldest living artist to make that chart.

We Will Rock YouQueen

There are no actual drums on "We Will Rock You," just lots of foot stomping.

Editor's Picks

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."