Beach House is an Americandream pop band formed inBaltimore in 2004, composed of current membersVictoria Legrand (vocals, keyboards) andAlex Scally (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals, drum programming), who first met through Baltimore's indie scene.[1][2] Their work is characterized by a hypnoticdream pop style. The band first gained recognition in 2006, after their song "Apple Orchard" was featured on aPitchfork MP3mixtape, subsequently releasing theirself-titled debut album on October of that year, throughCarpark Records.
They released their second studio albumDevotion in 2008. In 2009, they were offered a contract signing toSub Pop, which allowed them to release their third studio albumTeen Dream in 2010, which was released to critical acclaim.[3] It was followed by their fourth studio albumBloom (2012), which was also praised by critics and commercially successful, peaking at number 7 on the USBillboard 200.[4][5] In 2015, the band released two albums,Depression Cherry andThank Your Lucky Stars, which was described by the band as "not a companion to [the former], or a surprise, orb-sides."[6] Their seventh and eighth respective studio albums,7 (2018), andOnce Twice Melody (2022), have also received acclaim by critics.
We had numerous sessions about what we should call ourselves. It was pretty funny. We tried to describe all these otherworldly-type things, things that would reflect the way we sounded. And there was mention of a beach party on the moon. We already had a song called "House on the Hill," and basically it just came out one day: Beach House. Why not just name it this? I think we were lucky.
In 2004, lead vocalistVictoria Legrand moved from her birthplace ofParis toBaltimore after being dissatisfied with theater school.[8] She had also moved there because a colleague who went toVassar College, where she graduated from in 2003, was also living there.[9] She later met guitaristAlex Scally, who graduated fromOberlin College in 2004, through a mutual friend later that year.[7] At around this time, they were both in a band named Daggerhearts, which would end up disbanding later, in 2005, due to dysfunctionality.[10] Both of them would instead end up creating music together, wanting to form a band.[11] He invited Legrand to his house to try a variety of organs he had used on4-track recordings, kept in storage, and both of them got along well.[12] Aside creating music at the time, Scally worked with his father as a carpenter, while Legrand worked as a waiter at a Mexican restaurant.[13][14]
The duo began recording their first album in 2005 in Scally's basement, which was recorded on a 4-track recording tape over a two-day period.[15][16][9] The budget for recording the album was reportedly about $1,000.[17] The duo had various talks on what their band would be named; they would confirm Beach House as their band name, which came from "House on the Hill," one of the songs they recorded had written at the time.[7] Scally also talked about the origin of the band's name saying, "We'd been writing music, and we had all these songs, and then there was that moment where you say 'what do we call ourselves?' We tried to intellectualize it, and it didn't work. There were different plant-names, Wisteria, that kind of thing. Stupid stuff. But, once we stopped trying, it just came out, it just happened. And it just seemed perfect."[11] In an interview withPitchfork, Legrand addressed their being a two-member status thus: "[I]t's a way to challenge ourselves: What do you do when it's just the two of you? ... [O]ne of the reasons this has been such a fulfilling experience for me is that with two people, it's so much easier to achieve things that feel exciting and new."[18] In August 2006, their song "Apple Orchard" was featured on aPitchfork MP3mixtape. On October 3, 2006, the band released their self-titled debut album,Beach House, throughCarpark Records, and was ranked 16th on Pitchfork's Best Albums of that year.[19]
On January 2007, the band released a music video for "Master of None."[20] They released another video for the track on July 2007, which conincided with an official release of their self-titled album in the United Kingdom.[21] In June 2007, Beach House revealed, in an interview withPitchfork, that they were working on their second studio album, adding that they were again working with Rob Girardi at the newly-established Lord Baltimore Recording studio.[22] In October of that year, they officially announced the album and its title asDevotion.[23] Beach House's second album,Devotion, was released on February 26, 2008. It was received with similar acclaim as the first album and was included in Pitchfork's Best Albums of 2008 list.[24] The duo began writing the album within the first half of the year, starting the recording process in July 2007,[25] with the usage of an oldYamaha keyboard that became the "main instrument of the band", according to lead vocalistVictoria Legrand.[26] In August 2008, the band announced that they would release their debut single "Used to Be" on October 21 of that year as a 7-inch vinyl release, along with a 4-track demo of "Apple Orchard" as its B-side.[27] Recorded over the summer of 2008, "Used to Be" was streamed online early on September 22, 2008.[28]
In February 2009, Beach House recorded a cover ofQueen's "Play the Game", which was only released on theiTunes Store version of theRed Hot Organization's compilation albumDark Was The Night.[29][30] That same year, the band began writing their third studio album.[17] Aside, Legrand provided backing vocals on the song "Two Weeks" by theindie rock bandGrizzly Bear. She later collaborated with the band again by providing vocals to "Slow Life", the band's contribution to thesoundtrack for the filmTwilight: New Moon.[31] In September of that year, it was announced that the duo had signed onto independent record labelSub Pop, marking their departure from Carpark, where they released their first two albums, along with a confirmation that the duo were recording their third studio album.[17][32] In October of that same year, the duo announced their third studio album,Teen Dream.[33] With the record deal, they were able to produce a DVD version of the album, meeting its expectations, as well as hire a producer,Chris Coady.[17][34] The album was recorded atDreamland Studios inHurley, New York.[35][36] On November 17, the band released "Norway", the lead single fromTeen Dream, on their website as a free download.[37] The song was originally written while on a train in Norway in 2008.[38][39]
Teen Dream did little to alter Beach House's core characteristics---slow-motion beats layered with hazy keyboard drones, rippling guitar figures, and Victoria Legrand's melancholic melodies---but greatly amplified them to the point of redefining the band's essence, from that of introverted knee-gazers into an assured, emotionally assertive force.
DespiteTeen Dream beingleaked on the Internet at the near-end of 2009,[41] it was later officially released through Sub Pop on January 26, 2010, becoming their first album release through the label,[42] and was met with critical acclaim upon release.[3][43] It contains a re-recorded version of their 2008 single "Used to Be".[44] The album's unitedly positive reception garnered the band a larger fan base, withJay-Z andBeyoncé being spotted at the band'sCoachella 2010 set.[43][45] On February 1, 2010, the band released theirDaytrotter Session EP, which features live renditions of four songs fromTeen Dream.[46][47][48] Of the success of the album and it being dubbed the group's "breakout" record by numerous publications, Legrand stated: "I see this as just another step in a direction. I would not want to say that 2010 will be our year, necessarily, I hope it’s just another year in which we do good work. I don’t want to be defined by this year, I want it to just be a beginning."[49] The album was also included in the book1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[50] On August 24, 2010, the band released their six-trackiTunes Session EP, featuring a new previously unreleased song, "White Moon", along with five renditions of songs fromTeen Dream and "Gila".[51][52] In October 2010, the band contributed a charity T-shirt for theYellow Bird Project to raise money for the House of Ruth women's shelter inMaryland for victims of domestic violence.[53] On December 16, 2010, the band released "I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun" on their website for free.[54] The song was written and recorded in 2010 during a break between tours after they felt "incredibly grateful" to their fans.[55]
In 2011, the band revealed that they were planning on working on their fourth album, with Scally stating that, as soon as they finish going on tour forTeen Dream, they were going to "wait for the writing process [of their next album] to be really exciting and inspired".[56] That same year, they revealed that they have already written a few songs for it while touring.[57] In January 2012, a photo of the band was published on theElectric Lady Studios Facebook page with the caption "Just wrapped the new Beach House record in Studio A... such a rad record // band," raising speculation that their fourth studio album was completed there.[58] The photo was later taken down, with Chris Cantalini ofGorilla vs. Bear revealing onTwitter that Sub Pop told them that Electric Lady "jumped the gun" when publishing the photo.[59] The following month, it was reported that the duo's fourth studio album would drop in May 15, of the same year; its alleged tracklist was revealed and the album was reportedly titledBloom.[60][61] On March 7, 2012, the band streamed a new song, "Myth", on their website, confirmed as the lead single fromBloom.[62] On May 8, the next day, the band officially confirmed the release ofBloom and its tracklist, also announcing tour dates in support.[63] The album was recorded atSonic Ranch inTornillo, Texas, and features production by Chris Coady for the second time.[64][65] The second single from the album, "Lazuli", was released on April 13, 2012,[66] and was released as a 7-inch single, with "Equal Mind" as itsB-side, as aRecord Store Day exclusive release.[67][68]
Bloom was released on May 15, 2012, by Sub Pop, and was met with praise from contemporary music critics upon release.[69][70] The album debuted at number seven on the USBillboard 200, selling 41,000 copies in its first week; it became the duo's best selling album on the chart.[71] Supporting US tour dates for the album were also announced, with its start date being on May 4, 2012, at Charlottesville, and its end date on July 23, 2012, in New York City.[63] Soon after touring, dates for a supporting international fall tour, marketed as the Frightened Eyes tour, were announced, commencing on September 13, 2012, in Richmond, Virginia, and concluding on November 19, 2012, inAmsterdam.[72][73] At around this month, a British advert for automobile manufacturing companyVolkswagen was published, which features a song that was referred to as a rip-off of the band's song "Take Care", from their previous albumTeen Dream (2010).[74] The band responded, stating that the advertising agency had attempted to license the song from them, politely declining.[75] The band also stated that fans should not direct their comments to the company, but to the advertising agency instead.[76] In June 2012, Beach House was featured on the cover of Issue #80 ofthe Fader.[77] A music video for "Lazuli" was released on June 6, 2012, and was directed by Allen Cordell, who also directed the video for "Walk in the Park" fromTeen Dream.[78] On November 14, 2012, the duo released the accompanying music video for "Wild", featuring video direction fromJohan Renck and a series of violent and sexual scenes.[79][80]
On January 1, 2013, Beach House released the official video for "New Year", which features time-lapse video recordings, which were filmed byManuel Calderon, of the album's recording sessions at Sonic Ranch.[81] The duo explained its concept, "It's more of a home video thing, not a music video... we just thought these moments and the memories they involve fit this song".[82][83] The band released a short film,Forever Still, on February 4, 2013.[84] The film, directed by the band and Max Goldman, was inspired byPink Floyd'sLive at Pompeii and features the band performing songs fromBloom at various sites around Tornillo, Texas, where the album was recorded.[85] The idea for the film came from the band's desire to make quality promotional content they could control artistically: "We had previously been involved in too many live sessions, radio tapings, photoshoots, etc., where the outcome was far below our personal artistic standards. We also felt a need to distance ourselves from the 'content' culture of the internet that rewards quantity over quality and shock over nuance."[86] A music video for "Wishes" directed byEric Wareheim and starringRay Wise was released on March 7, 2013.[87][88][89] In March 2014, the band released the song "Saturn Song", which exclusively appeared on the Lefse Records compilation albumThe Space Project.[90] In July 2014, the band announced the Northern Exposure Tour, with concert dates taking place in Alaska and Canada.[91]
2015–2017:Depression Cherry andThank Your Lucky Stars
Beach House performing at the Pabst Theatre inMilwaukee in 2015
On May 26, 2015, Beach House announced their fifth studio album,Depression Cherry, additionally revealing its tracklist and album artwork, along with dates for its supporting world tour.[92][93] Talking about the direction of the new album, the band said in a press release, "In general, this record shows a return to simplicity, with songs structured around a melody and a few instruments, with live drums playing a far lesser role."[94] On June 26, 2015, the band announced onTwitter that they would perform a new song titled "Sparks" onSiriusXMU, further stating that it would serve as thelead single fromDepression Cherry.[95] The song was subsequently released on July 1, 2015, alongside its accompanying visualizer, which was released onYouTube, and was also performed on SiriusXMU.[96][97] On July 9, 2015,Depression Cherry wasleaked on the internet through a data breach on music siteSpin.[98][99] On August 6, 2015, "PPP" and "Beyond Love" were previewed in an interview onWBUR-FM'sHere and Now, being the second and third singles fromDepression Cherry.[100] The album's three supporting singles were later published through the band's website, though one could be accessed through the "Single Finder" feature.[101][102] On August 19, nine days before the album's release,NPR Music made astream of the album available online.[103] The album debuted at number eight on theBillboard 200, with 27,000 copies sold in its first week.[104]
On September 28, 2015,Spin reported that Beach House had performed a new song called "Helicopter Dream (I'm Awake)" onFlaming Lips frontmanWayne Coyne's podcast,The Fearless Freakcast.[105] Other publications also reported on the purported new track, includingConsequence of Sound,[106]Fact,[107] andStereogum.[108] Reaction to the track was largely favorable, withSpin calling it a "fuzzy space-odyssey"[105] andConsequence of Sound describing it as "a reverb-soaked number."[106] However, according to the band's representatives, it was a fake song, and their representatives stated in an e-mail sent toSpin, "It is not a new song. Not even their voices on that podcast. Sorry!"[105] An article onGawker used the hoax as an example of "how easy it is to fool a blogger".[109] The fake song and podcast hoax was named byVice's Noisey as one of "The Best Trolls of 2015."[110] On October 7, 2015, less than two months following the release ofDepression Cherry, the band announced their sixth studio album,Thank Your Lucky Stars, on their Twitter account, adding that it would be released on October 16, that same year.[111] Though the album was recorded alongsideDepression Cherry, the band felt that the records should be seen as distinct unconnected works, also stating that it is "not a companion toDepression Cherry, or a surprise, orb-sides."[112][113] The album debuted at number 39 on theBillboard 200 and at number four on theTop Rock Albums chart, with 10,000 copies sold in its first week.[114]
On January 31, 2017, the band announced a North American tour and revealed that they were putting together a collection of B-sides and rare cuts.[115] The idea for a B-sides record came when the band realized how many non-album songs had been made over the years, and how hard it was to find and hear many of them. This compilation contains every song the band has ever made that does not exist on one of their records.[116] On May 17, 2017, the band released "Chariot" as the lead single for the compilation album, which was revealed asB-Sides and Rarities.[117] The song is one of the two on the album which were previously unreleased, with "Baseball Diamond" being the other song.[118] An accompanying music video for the track was released on June 14, 2017.[119] Self-directed by the band, the video features stock footage of former PresidentJohn F. Kennedy and First LadyJacqueline Kennedy, of which a press release stated that it is a "rumination on the creation, cultivation, and confusion of narratives in media."[120]B-Sides and Rarities was released on June 30, 2017, and features 14 tracks which were separately recorded within a ten-year period, from 2005 to 2015, set in a non-chronological order.[121] 12 of the tracks were previously released.[122] In a promotional bio, the band wrote, "[B-Sides and Rarities] felt like a good step for us. It helped us clean the creative closet, put the past to bed, and start anew."[123]
Beach House performing at Rockefeller Music Hall inOslo in 2018.
On February 15, 2018, after a half-year break, the band released a new song, "Lemon Glow," and announced it as the lead single from their then-upcoming album which they said would be released "later this spring."[124][125] Accompanied with an Instagram post captioned, "Wishing everyone out there love tonight," as well as a "groovy checkered" visualizer, the band stated the it would serve as the lead single from their then-upcoming and untitled seventh studio album.[126] The song incorporated electronic elements, featuring the use of drum machines and synthesizers.[127][126] On March 7, 2018, the band officially announced their seventh album, titled7, unveiling its album cover, track list and accompanying world tour dates in addition.[128] On the same day, they released the album's second single, "Dive," along with a visualizer and the availability of a pre-order of the album.[129][130] On April 2, they released "Dark Spring" as the album's third single, alongside a music video directed by Zia Anger.[131][132] On May 2, 2018, "Black Car" was released as the fourth single from the album, along with its accompanying visualizer.[133]
In a promotional interview days leading up to the album, the band stated that they wanted to reassess their old methods, where they often limited their writing to structures and arrangements that they were able to perform live, and eventually decided to follow what came naturally, adding that they let their creative spirits, instead of instrumentation, to determine the album's feeling.[134] On May 11, 2018, Beach House released their seventh studio album7, along with an accompanying animated album visualizer, entirely directed by San Charoenchai, that was uploaded to the band'sYouTube channel, with each song being accompanied by psychedelic black-and-white visuals.[135] The album also follows their[B-Sides and Rarities compilation album released in 2017, which served as a proverbial "cleaning out the closet" to pave the way for a new creative process.[136] Scally stated that this release felt "really kinetic" and felt excitement by "the kind of bubbling, chaotic, discordant energy field."[137] The album also sees the group's departure from working with longtime producerChris Coady, now featuring co-production by English record producerPete "Sonic Boom" Kember; his work withSpacemen 3 and Spectrum impressed the band to reach out and see if he might like to co-produce the album with them.[138]
On May 15, the band performed "Drunk in LA" as musical guests onJimmy Kimmel Live!.[139] An accompanying music video for "Black Car" was directed by Legrand's brother, Alistair Legrand, and was released on June 18.[140] A music video for "Drunk in LA", which was directed by Peter Kember, co-producer of7, was released on September 11, 2018, with a Sonic Boom remix of "Black Car" being released on the same day.[141] On October 23, 2018, the band released a limited edition7-inch vinyl of "Lose Your Smile" from7 as the A-side and a new track from the recording sessions of7 titled "Alien" as the B-side. The vinyl was originally sold on the band's European tour in dates from September to October.[142][143] In addition, a visualizer for "Alien" was uploaded on the same day, which was directed by Charoenchai, and was also released as a standalone single to digital download and streaming services.[144] On the same day, they announced later Australian tour dates, which included shows between February and March 2019.[145]
In 2021, "Space Song", the third track from their fifth studio albumDepression Cherry, became asleeper hit when it attained virality onTikTok and later received a platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 2022.[146][147] Further, the song was featured in theNetflix-original television seriesWednesday (2022), appearing in its third episode.[148] After its appearance on the series, the song earned over four million streams in the United States, within the November 25–December 1, 2022, tracking week.[149] With the support of the streams, the song debuted at number 20 on the USHot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, marking their first appearance on the chart,[149] later peaking at number 13 on the chart the following week.[150] In February 2021, in an interview withRolling Stone, Alex Scally revealed that they were thinking of working on their eighth album, adding that they would "like to get there".[151] In a September 2021 interview with101.9 KINK FM, the band confirmed that they had been working on their eight album during theCOVID-19 pandemic, adding that it would be released in 2022.[152] In November 2021, the band announced their eighth studio albumOnce Twice Melody, which is their firstdouble album.[153] The album was released in four chapters throughout November 2021 and February 2022, with a slated release date of the entire album on February 18, 2022.[154] The first chapter,Pink Funeral, was released on November 10, 2021, with the title track being released as its lead single on the same day.[155][156] Its second chapter,New Romance, was released on December 8, 2021.[157]
The third chapter forOnce Twice Melody,Masquerade, was released on January 19, 2022.[158] "Hurts to Love" was released on February 14, 2022, to coincide with Valentine's Day, as the album's second single,[159] further denoting its inclusion on its fourth chapter,Modern Love Stories, which officially marked the official release of the entire album, on February 18, 2022.[160][161]Once Twice Melody debuted atop the USBillboardTop Album Sales chart, with 20,300 copies sold in its first week; in addition it debuted atop the USTop Alternative Albums,Top Rock Albums andTop Vinyl Albums charts.[162] It also debuted at number 12 on the USBillboard 200 album chart with 24,000album-equivalent units, adding their fourth top-20 entry on the chart.[163] On February 26, 2022, American rapperKanye West published a series of photos of him with the band in a studio, leading to speculation of a collaboration.[164][165][166] "Superstar" was later sent to US radio on April 4, 2022, as the third single fromOnce Twice Melody, while the title track peaked at number 15 on the USAdult Alternative Airplay chart.[167][163] The band performed "Superstar" onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 20, 2022.[168] To support the album, the band embarked the Once Twice Melody tour, which began on February 18, 2022, inPittsburgh and ended on July 24, 2022, inWashington, D.C..[169] The liner notes ofOnce Twice Melody also list James Barone as a full band member for the first time. Their Spotify bio was also updated to reflect this lineup change.[170]
On February 16, 2023, the band announced their EPBecome, containing five previously unreleased songs from theOnce Twice Melody sessions. The project was released on April 22, 2023, as aRecord Store Day exclusive before being made available for streaming on April 28, 2023.[171] On August 19, 2023, the band curated and introduced a favorite film,Lynne Ramsay'sMorvern Callar, at the inaugural edition of Baltimore'sNew/Next Film Festival.[172] In mid-2025, despite going on tour that year, the band reported on their fan-ownedsubreddit that there would be no further dates or a new album that year, although stated that they "hope" to tour and release an album in 2026, "though only time will tell."[2]
When [Gene Clark's]No Other was released in September of 1974, it received a lot of bad reviews, most criticising its studio excess. A lot of people of its generation don't really know the record. Throughout the years since, many have dug the record up and fallen in love with it. We are certainly two of those people and we hope that the tour we are organising to play the record live will spread awareness of the album even more.
— Beach House, regarding the Gene Clark No Other Band[173]
In December 2013, Beach House announced that they had put together asupergroup, referred to as the Gene Clark No Other Band, for a four-concert tour in January 2014, which took place in Baltimore,Philadelphia,New York City andWashington, D.C., where they covered American singer-songwriterGene Clark's albumNo Other (1974) in its entirety to bring it to a new audience.[174] The supergroup's member lineup consisted of fellow Baltimore musicians including members ofLower Dens,Wye Oak,Celebration,Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear andThe Walkmen, along withIain Matthews ofFairport Convention andPlainsong.[175][176] Each performance also included a presentation of a specially edited version of the documentaryThe Byrd Who Flew Alone: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Gene Clark.[177] In March 2014, it was announced that they were also the headliners for the2014 End of the Road Festival.[178][179] A 50-minute video of the supergroup's entire January 26 performance at theMusic Hall of Williamsburg in New York was released byPitchfork in April 2014, with Legrand as part of the vocal chorus and Scally on bass.[180][181] Bill Pearis ofBrooklynVegan called the performance a "knockout show."[182]
In 2013, Beach House provided scoring for the 13-minute short filmThis Must Be the Only Fantasy, which was created by Todd Cole and produced bythe Creators Project.[183] Beach House scored four trailers that ran before each film screening at the 2020Sundance Film Festival.[184][185] In 2021, Beach House collaborated withMeow Wolf, an immersive arts production company based inSanta Fe, NM.[186][187] The band scored a short film calledMarin's Dreams and created soundscapes for Meow Wolf's new permanent installation inLas Vegas calledOmega Mart.[188] The band composed music for three rooms within the installation — "Upload Ghost," a sculpture designed by Stephen Hendee, "Goblin Computer," and "Marin and Rose's Dwelling."[186] In March 2022, it was announced that Beach House would provide the score toSofia Alvarez'sNetflix filmAlong for the Ride.[189]
The band also degraded their live drums usage within their fifth and sixth studio albums,Depression Cherry andThank Your Lucky Stars, both released in 2015, returning to a simpler style of dream pop and relying more onprogrammed drum rhythms,[204] while also adding shoegaze influences onto a few tracks, including "Sparks" and "One Thing" on their respective albums.[205][206] They later began increasingly incorporatingelectronic textures on their songs.[1] The material within their seventh studio album7 (2018) being described by music publications as dream pop, with shoegaze andpsychedelic pop influences.[207][208][209] Their eighth studio album and first double-album releaseOnce Twice Melody was described by critics to feature other genre influences such asneo-psychedelia andchamber pop,[210][211] with its separate tracks found within its four chapters being described in other genres such as shoegaze andsynth-pop.[212][213] The album was solely produced by the band, a first for them, and features live string arrangements, which were handled byDavid Campbell.[214] Throughout the album, there are also tracks that omit live drums, electronic songs without guitar, and "wandering and repetitive melodies", as described by the band.[215]
Some music outlets have also compared Legrand's vocals to 1980s psychedelic rock vocalist Kendra Smith of the bandOpal. The group's influences includethe Zombies,Brian Wilson,Neil Young,Big Star, andChris Bell.[36] In 2021, Beach House namedMy Bloody Valentine'sm b v (2013) as their favorite album in the last 25 years, stating that it was "worth the long wait afterLoveless".[216][217] Beach House re-recorded British folk trioTony, Caro and John's song, "Snowdon Song," for their debut studio album, renaming it to "Lovelier Girl" and modifying its original arrangements.[195] The song was released on the band's self-titled album with no given attribution to the trio. Initially, Tony Dore of Tony, Caro and John stated, "I haven't seen much yet in terms of royalties or acknowledgement of authorship". Several months later, however, Dore disclosed that discussions had taken place to apply proper attribution on re-releases of the self-titled album.[218]
Legrand has described creating new music and releasing albums as a necessity for the band, saying, "When we decide that a record is finished, I think it's really about coming to terms with saying 'OK, I think we've done everything that we could do, and now it's time to let these things go.' Because if we hold onto them, we might destroy them or they might never come out. There are all different types of artists and I think that some people like to hold onto things and they get very perfectionistic. But perfectionism is kind of a synonym for destruction. It can really be a deterrent for one's evolution. Alex and I have always felt that putting records out is very necessary. It's a gut feeling we have."[219]
Beach House's music has been sampled by prominent hip-hop and R&B artists. In 2011,The Weeknd sampled "Master of None" and "Gila" in his songs "The Party & the After Party" and "Loft Music," respectively.[220]Kendrick Lamar sampled "Silver Soul" for his hit "Money Trees."[220] The rap groupG-Side sampled "10 Mile Stereo" in their song "How Far."[221]
Beach House has also inspired songs and musicians. Pop duoThe Chainsmokers wrote "Beach House" as an ode to listening to Beach House.[222]Wayne Coyne of theFlaming Lips listed Beach House's albumBloom as one of the ten records that changed his life.[223]
The band has toured extensively worldwide. Of touring, Legrand stated: "[W]e love touring. That's when you get to get into a rhythm, playing every night. It can be really fun. And I think you learn where you want to go with your music."[224]
Beach House is famous for its visual-heavy live shows that elevate their sound to a new level. Scally believes that playing live music is the best way to connect with fans. The band's innovation in tour décor began with lightboxes with disco balls in them that Scally and Legrand made for their first tour.[225]
In March 2009, the band was featured at theSXSW festival inAustin, Texas.[226] In April 2010, the band performed at theCoachella Festival inIndio, California. In June 2010, the band surmounted "technical difficulties due to too muchMDMA" while playing a set on The Park Stage at Glastonbury.[227] In August 2010, the band joinedVampire Weekend on tour as one of their two opening acts, the other being theDum Dum Girls. In October 2010, Beach House played at theAustin City Limits Music Festival. On December 20, 2010, the band performed onConan.
On October 17, 2015, the band performed "One Thing" from their albumThank Your Lucky Stars (which debuted the same night) onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Beach House performed at Coachella 2016[231] as well as Pickathon 2016 outside of Portland, Oregon[232] and FYF Fest 2016 in Los Angeles, California. On July 15, 2016, the band headlined the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, Illinois.[233] On August 13 the band played at theEaux Claires music festival inEau Claire, Wisconsin.[234]
"I believe that our show now with 7 material, visually and musically, is the best it's ever been. It evolved over a long period of time and it's a vision now. At first, it was just an idea, but now it's an experience…. We want to make people leave themselves. Any good artistic experience is like that," adds Scally.[225]
In March 2018, the band announced an extensive tour itinerary that started at the end of April in the States and took them through the fall to Europe.[235] In August 2019, Beach House added new tour dates in the US, including stops in Burlington and Cleveland, as well as Grand Rapids and Milwaukee, appearing at Osheaga festival in Montreal, Psycho Fest in Las Vegas, and Bellwether Music Festival in Waynesville, OH.
^abColombi, François (March 16, 2012)."Myth : le nouveau single de Beach House" [Myth: Beach House's new single].Toute La Culture (in French). RetrievedOctober 11, 2025.A la sortie deTeen Dream en 2010, les critiques avaient été plus qu'élogieuses pour le duo Beach House. [WhenTeen Dream was released in 2010, critics were more than complimentary for the duo Beach House.]
^Souza, Gabriella (May 29, 2015)."New Album, Tour In Store For Beach House".Baltimore.Archived from the original on October 15, 2025. RetrievedOctober 11, 2025.[Depression Cherry] is Beach House's fifth album and their previous releaseBloom received plenty of praise when it debuted in 2012.
^Phillips, Amy (November 17, 2009)."New Beach House: "Norway"".Pitchfork.Archived from the original on April 3, 2010. RetrievedOctober 30, 2025.
^Grøndahl, Beate (May 28, 2008)."Beach House synger om Norge" [Beach House sings about Norway] (in Norwegian). NRK Lydverket. Archived fromthe original on December 5, 2009. RetrievedOctober 30, 2025.
^Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (March 23, 2010).1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe.ISBN978-0-7893-2074-2.
^Souza, Gabriella (May 29, 2015)."New Album, Tour In Store For Beach House".Baltimore.Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. RetrievedMay 16, 2025.[Depression Cherry] is Beach House's fifth album and their previous releaseBloom received plenty of praise when it debuted in 2012.
^Horner, Al (June 17, 2019)."Not OK, computer: how it feels to have your music leaked".The Guardian. RetrievedAugust 29, 2025.In 2015, new albums by Beach House, Destroyer and Mac DeMarco were circulated online months ahead of release when a server belonging to the music siteSpin was breached.
^Boddington, Ruby (March 24, 2020)."Studio Lowrie's Sundance Film Festival identity proves small studios can take on projects of any scale".It's Nice That.Archived from the original on November 16, 2025. RetrievedNovember 17, 2025.A major facet of the project, but one which was introduced fairly late on in the process, is a series of animated trailers and a brand launch video, which bring the visual identity to life through motion graphics, soundtracked by Beach House.
^"The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s".Pitchfork. October 8, 2019.Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. RetrievedOctober 31, 2025.Beach House are nothing if not devoted to a mood. On their first two records, that atmosphere was one of lo-fi wistfulness...
^Hochgesand, Stefan (November 20, 2015)."Ein Interview mit Beach House" [An interview with Beach House].Tip (in German). Archived fromthe original on January 4, 2016. RetrievedAugust 3, 2025.
^Anderson, Jason (March 2022). "Beach House – Once Twice Melody: Baltimore duo's dream-pop swells to new proportions on masterful eighth album".Uncut. No. 298. p. 33.
^Naftule, Ashley (September 20, 2017)."Why Hip-Hop Loves Beach House".Phoenix New Times.Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 26, 2021.
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