Rachel Goswell

Rachel Goswell

Goswell performing with Slowdive, 2014
Background information
Birth name Rachel Goswell
Born 16 May 1971
Fareham, England, United Kingdom
Genres Indie pop, dream pop, folk rock, experimental rock, shoegaze
Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, tambourine
Years active 1989–present
Labels 4AD, Creation Records, Capitol
Associated acts Slowdive, Mojave 3, Air Cuba
Notable instruments
Fender Telecaster
Fender Precision Bass

Rachel Goswell (born 16 May 1971) is an English singer-songwriter and musician who rose to prominence as vocalist, bassist, and guitarist of the shoegaze band Slowdive. Goswell, along with Neil Halstead, Ian McCutcheon and former Chapterhouse member Simon Rowe became Mojave 3 when Slowdive transitioned to a more country/folk rock style.[1] She released a solo album in 2004, titled Waves Are Universal on 4AD Records.

History

Goswell was born in Fareham, England. She began playing guitar at age seven, and was trained on classical guitar at age fourteen, along with childhood friend Neil Halstead, with whom she formed Slowdive in 1989.[2]

After Slowdive's dissolution in 1995, Goswell and Halstead formed Mojave 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 being Puzzles Like You in 2006, before going on a hiatus.

In 2014, Slowdive, with Goswell, reformed for gigs and have declared in interviews that they would be working on new material.

The year 2004 saw Goswell release solo recordings with co-writer Joe Light and producer David Naughton. Nine months after Mojave 3 released Spoon and Rafter, she released The Sleep Shelter EP. Waves Are Universal, her first full-length recording, appeared a month later. Tiny Mix Tapes described the record as "delicate and well-thought out" despite occasionally veering towards "the frankly repulsive world of adult contemporary" while Pitchfork Media thought the album was "warm [and] summery ... agreeable, if not very exciting".[3][4] Stylus Magazine stated that Waves Are Universal is "a solid album that could appeal to both fans of [Goswell's] previous work and others".[5] In February 2005, a limited edition remix 12" (also available as a download) entitled "Coastline"/"Plucked" was issued and features two mixes apiece from The Earlies and Ulrich Schnauss.

Personal life

Goswell was married to Air Cuba's Christopher Andrews from 1994 until 2000.

Goswell is partially deaf herself as a result of labyrinthitis (a viral infection) which occurred in 2006. This left her with chronic tinnitus in one ear and she also had debilitating balance problems which required physiotherapy for a year. As a result, Goswell had to stop playing and touring with Mojave 3.

In 2010 Goswell gave birth to a son, Jesse, who has CHARGE syndrome; Jesse is profoundly deaf and has a serious heart condition which resulted in open heart surgery at the age of five months.[6] [7][8][9] She is learning British Sign Language and is vocal about the rights of parents of deaf children to have free access to learning sign language.[6] In October 2013 there was a debate in Parliament led by the NDCS (National Deaf Children's Society) where both Rachel and Jesse were mentioned.

Equipment

Rachel Goswell's 1993 Slowdive guitar rig consisted of a Fender Telecaster, a Boss OD-2 Turbo Overdrive, a Yamaha FX-500 Multi-FX unit and a Roland JC-77 Jazz Chorus 2x10 combo amp.[10]

Discography

Slowdive
Main article: Slowdive discography
Mojave 3
Main article: Mojave 3 discography
Rachel Goswell

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Rachel Goswell Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
  2. ↑ "Rachel Goswell of Slowdive". Creation Records. October 2002. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  3. ↑ "Waves Are Universal". Tiny Mix Tapes. c. 2004. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  4. ↑ Deusner, Stephen M. (2004-09-08). "Waves Are Universal". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  5. ↑ Mathers, Ian (22 July 2004). "Waves Are Universal". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kusumah, Aldy (February 2013). "RACHEL GOSWELL: "I am so out of touch with current music."". The Bastards of Young. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  7. ↑ "December 1 — "No Substitute" by Rachel Goswell". This Is That Song. 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  8. ↑ "Rachel Goswell biography". In.com. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  9. ↑ Roberts, Michael (1996-05-06). "Just Deserts". Denver Westword. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  10. ↑ Cooper, Adam (25 Apr 1999). "Rachel Goswell's 1993 Slowdive Guitar Rig". GuitarGeek.Com.

External links