Rachel Goswell | |
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_(53748820059).jpg) Rachel Goswell in concert with Slowdive in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Rachel Ann Goswell (1971-05-16)16 May 1971 (age 54) Fareham, England |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Slowdive,Minor Victories |
| Formerly of | Mojave 3 |
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Rachel Ann Goswell (born 16 May 1971) is an English musician who rose to prominence as vocalist and guitarist of theshoegaze bandSlowdive, which formed in 1989. Goswell, along withNeil Halstead, Ian McCutcheon and formerChapterhouse member Simon Rowe becameMojave 3 when Slowdive transitioned to a more country/folk rock style.[1] She released a solo album in 2004, titledWaves Are Universal on4AD Records.
Goswell was born inFareham,Hampshire, England. Her family moved toWales after her birth, and toReading, Berkshire when she was seven, where she spent the rest of her youth.[2] She has an older brother.[2]
Her father taught her folk guitar songs from the age of seven, and she began studyingclassical guitar and music theory at age ten.[2] Goswell took classical guitar lessons along with childhood friend Neil Halstead, with whom she formedSlowdive in 1989.[3] She was influenced, from a singing point of view, bySiouxsie Sioux",[4] "it was [she] who made me want to be a singer."[5]Joni Mitchell,Iggy Pop andNick Cave were her other favorite singers.[6] Goswell was also inspired by theCocteau Twins; she discovered their music at 16 and "found myself immersed in the magic and wonder of their overall sound musically."[7] The songs that influenced her the most were: "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" byThe Smiths, "92 Degrees" fromSiouxsie and the Banshees'Tinderbox album, "Persephone" from Cocteau Twins'Treasure album and "River" by Joni Mitchell.[8]
Goswell formed the indie rock band the Pumpkin Fairies withNeil Halstead, Adrian Sell and Nick Chaplin in 1988, after having played in several cover bands in Reading.[9] When the Pumpkin Fairies dissolved in 1989, the group then formedSlowdive in the same year.[10] She was a member of Slowdive until the band's dissolution in 1995. After the disbandment, Goswell and Halstead formedMojave 3, an offshoot of Slowdive; the group captured a more folk rock-oriented sound as opposed to Slowdive's shoegaze sound. They released five albums, their last beingPuzzles Like You in 2006, before going on a hiatus.[11]
The year 2004 saw Goswell release solo recordings with co-writer Joe Light and producer David Naughton. Nine months after Mojave 3 releasedSpoon and Rafter, she releasedThe Sleep Shelter EP.Waves Are Universal, her first full-length recording, appeared a month later.[12]Tiny Mix Tapes described the record as "delicate and well-thought out" despite occasionally veering towards "the frankly repulsive world of adult contemporary" whilePitchfork Media thought the album was "warm [and] summery ... agreeable, if not very exciting".[13][14]Stylus Magazine stated thatWaves Are Universal is "a solid album that could appeal to both fans of [Goswell's] previous work and others".[15] In February 2005, a limited edition remix 12" (also available as a download) entitledCoastline/Plucked was issued and features two mixes apiece fromthe Earlies andUlrich Schnauss.
In 2014, Slowdive, with Goswell, performed for gigs and have declared in interviews that they would be working on new material.[11] The band continue to tour. In 2016 Goswell joinedStuart Braithwaite,Justin Lockey and James Lockey to form the bandMinor Victories. Their self-titled debut was released in June 2016 onFat Possum Records.[16]
In April 2019, Goswell and her husband Steve Clarke announced a new musical project called the Soft Cavalry.[17] On 5 July 2019, the duo released their self titled LP, which since then has been acclaimed by critics.[18]
Goswell was in a relationship with fellow Slowdive vocalist and guitaristNeil Halstead from 1989 to 1993, breaking up shortly before the release ofSouvlaki.[19]
Goswell was married toAir Cuba's Christopher Andrews from 1994 until 2000.[20] Goswell was involved with American songwriterMark Kozelek during the Mojave 3 era, which he referenced on theSun Kil Moon song "Garden of Lavender".[16][21]
In 2018, Goswell married Steve Clarke, Slowdive's tour manager.[22][23][24]
Goswell is partiallydeaf as a result oflabyrinthitis (a viral infection) which occurred in 2006.[16] This left her with chronictinnitus in one ear and she also had debilitatingbalance problems which required physiotherapy for a year. As a result, Goswell had to stop playing and touring with Mojave 3.[11]
In 2010 Goswell gave birth to a son who hasCHARGE syndrome; he is profoundly deaf and has a serious heart condition which resulted inopen heart surgery at the age of five months.[25][26][27] She is learningBritish Sign Language and is vocal about the rights of parents of deaf children to have free access to learning sign language.[25]
Rachel Goswell's 1993 Slowdive guitar rig consisted of a Fender '72 Telecaster Thinline, aBoss OD-2Turbo Overdrive, aYamaha FX-500Multi-FX unit and aRoland JC-77Jazz Chorus 2x10combo amp.[28] Since Slowdive's reunion in 2014, Rachel Goswell's main guitar on tour is a Custom77 The Roxy – Hollowbody.[29] She also frequently uses a Roland Juno 106 synthesizer.
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