Shoegaze, in case you haven’t heard, is big news once again. A flurry of first generation innovators have reformed, with the likes of Slowdive and Ride producing some of their best work amid a glorious second arc. Alongside this, a new generation have plugged in their reverb pedals, with TikTok swooning to those ethereal sounds.
Of course, this current fixation on the Scene That Celebrates itself could never have happened if there weren’t people out there in the dream pop trenches over the years, attempting to keep the flame alive. Foremost amongst those Nat Cramp, the genial figure behind Sonic Cathedral – at first a club night, then a label, it’s acted as a shoegaze hub for two decades now, releasing fantastic work from the likes of Ride’s Andy Bell, Emma Anderson, Whitelands, deary, and much, much more.
This year, Sonic Cathedral turns 20, with a run of ultra-special live shows set to close this month. Alongside this, the label has pieced together a lavish box set – ‘Celebrate Yourself! The Sonic Cathedral Story 2004-2024’ – which lands on December 6th, boasting 62 tracks from a plethora of label associates.
It’s a real labour of love, with Nat Cramp commenting in the press notes: “We are incredibly proud to announce the release of a box set which tells the story of Sonic Cathedral from its humble beginnings way back in 2004 right up to the present day, where we find ourselves at the centre of the never-ending shoegaze revival. Now, in 2024, pretty much all of our dreams have come true apart from releasing a box set in the spirit and style of Factory’s peerless ‘Palatine’. Until now in ‘Celebrate Yourself!'”
As if that wasn’t enough, Sonic Cathedral are hosting a special 20th anniversary exhibition upstairs at pivotal Central London venue the Social, unleashing their own Brewgazer beer, and launching a special range of SC20 merch. Honestly, where do they find the time.
CLASH caught up with Sonic Cathedral founder and all-round shoegaze advocate Nat Cramp to find out more.
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Congrats on the milestone – how does it feel to turn 20?
Thanks! I can’t quite believe it to be honest. The last five years in particular have just felt like a blur, as they probably have to most people. If you’d told me back in October 2004 that this would still be going 20 years later, I would have just laughed.
What spurred the label into existence?
It’s all been a bit accidental, with one thing leading to another. I did the club night for a couple of years, and then offered to release a single for Mark Gardener after a show at The Social in Nottingham. I had no real plans to start a label, and no idea how to go about manufacturing and releasing a record, but somehow it all happened and here we are!
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What was the public perception of shoegaze like in 2004?
Here in the UK, it was still very much a dirty word. It was seen as something shameful that people either couldn’t openly admit to liking, or almost violently hated. Probably some sort of hangover from the brutal music press treatment of the early ’90s. But, away from the UK, people were a bit more open to it, and it became an actual genre choice on MySpace.
Which labels have influenced you?
Factory more than any, but also pre-Oasis Creation, 4AD, Kranky and more recently Border Community, Captured Tracks, AD 93, Music From Memory. I love labels with a strong aesthetic and I’d like to think that with Marc and Stuart Jones’ incredible design that comes through with releases on Sonic Cathedral.
There have been so many highlights over the years – one must be hosting Slowdive’s first gig after reforming. What was that like?
It was one of the most amazing nights of my life. I’ve never been in a room with such an overwhelming feeling of goodwill and positivity. Incredible. When I watched them soundcheck and they played ‘Catch The Breeze’ I cried my eyes out. And now we get to do it all over again 10 years on (Slowdive play on Friday at EartH Theatre). I am blessed!
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Shoegaze is enjoying a second (or third… or fourth…) wind right now – in your opinion, what’s behind this?
I’ve lost count of the number of shoegaze revivals that have happened since I started doing this, but the current one certainly seems to be the biggest, and the music has gone overground in a way that it hasn’t before, with Slowdive in the US Billboard Charts, and shoegaze being one of the default Gen Z soundtracks. I think it’s because it has an abundance of feeling and – especially for younger people who have grown up self-isolating and social distancing – it provides a convenient short-cut to human emotion. That’s why it’s perfect on TikTok.
The label remains very future-focussed, platforming new bands – deary and Whitelands are two of our favourites. Finding new voices must be a real thrill for you?
It’s the best part of all of this. Right from the start, as much as Sonic Cathedral was always about celebrating the past and keeping the shoegaze flame burning, it was always about looking forward too. So, finding new bands remains the priority, and doing so without just releasing retreads of the past as well. Bands like Whitelands really do bring something new to this, which is really refreshing, and I love to learn from them as much as I hope they learn from me.
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Sonic Cathedral has the feeling of a community – bands support one another at shows, pop up on remixes. Was this intentional? How has this come about?
I just thought that’s how things were, and I do try to foster that atmosphere as much as possible. I like that the label feels like a big, extended family. There’s not enough community in music, so building one is something I’m proud of. It is The Label That Celebrates Itself after all!
There’s a slew of live shows and parties planned for your 20th birthday – which ones are you particularly keen to catch?
All of them! Obviously, Slowdive are back 10 years after they played at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, and I think managing to convince Ride to play their set from Reading ’92 is a bit of a coup. Huge thanks to my friend Stewart for suggesting that. The Social on Sunday, October 13th will be nice too – hopefully a more relaxed vibe with some special performances and guest DJs. I’m looking forward to kicking back at that one with a can of Brewgazer!
You’re curating a special exhibition at The Social in London (right opposite our office, which is really handy – thanks!) What was the process of curating this like? Did it bring back a lot of memories?
I’ve spent months trawling through old photos. I sometimes find wallowing in nostalgia a bit depressing, but looking at all of these events as a body of work adds new meaning to things. There have been some amazing nights over the past 20 years, so it’ll be good to be able to relive them on the walls of The Social, especially as that’s where a lot of them took place!
The new box set looks fantastic, which was this like to put together?
It was really hard to fit 20 years onto just four CDs, but I tried to choose tracks that helped tell the story, as well as rarities, edits, stuff that had never been released properly before. My favourite disc is the live one, which is weird as I’m never usually a fan of live albums, but nine of the tracks were recorded at various Sonic Cathedral gigs over the years and it all flows together like one amazing gig. A bit like the photos for the exhibition, it makes you realise how important these things are and the impact they can have over time.
Finally, you’re not a label to rest on its laurels – what does the future hold?
Well, the new deary EP is out at the start of November and there are already at least three albums and EPs scheduled for next year already (there’s a hint at one of these on the new 7” which is out today). Part of me thought it’d be good to call it a day at 20 years, but there’s too much still to do, so I guess I can’t stop now!
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‘Celebrate Yourself! The Sonic Cathedral Story 2004-2024’ can be pre-ordered online.
Words: Robin Murray
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