The Jesus and Mary Chain

Formed in East Kilbride, Scotland, around brothers Jim and William Reid, The Jesus and Mary Chain took shape in 1983 with taut, melodic songwriting that blended noise pop, alternative rock, post-punk and abrasive distortion — an aesthetic that partly anticipated shoegaze. The band quickly drew attention with the single "Upside Down" in 1984 and the album "Psychocandy" in 1985, where tightly structured pop songs coexist with a wall of distorted guitars. After early years with Bobby Gillespie on drums, The Jesus and Mary Chain coalesced around a stable core — the Reid brothers — while the rest of the lineup changed regularly through tours and recordings. "Darklands" (1987) refined their approach with a sparer, more melancholic sound; "Automatic" (1989), "Honey’s Dead" (1992) and "Stoned & Dethroned" (1994) expanded the palette with electric tension, slower tempos and acoustic touches, notably featuring a collaboration with Hope Sandoval. Following "Munki" (1998) the band split in 1999 and reformed in 2007. They returned to the studio with "Damage and Joy" in 2017 and "Glasgow Eyes" in 2024, confirming the continuity of a sound in which the guitars' roughness remains tied to a pronounced taste for direct melodies.