Cult American shoegaze types Black Tambourine have spoken about their continuing cult status.
A recent glut of groups from Brooklyn has seen shoegaze pushed to the front of the hipster slang book. Bands such as Vivian Girls and Crystal Stilts have released acclaimed albums, with one group continuing to be cited as an influence.
A ghostly presence on the American indie scene, Black Tambourine only played a handful of shows in their lifetime. Yet the band’s influence persists with new fans discovering their music each day.
With the new retrospective ‘For Ex Lovers’ out now ClashMusic tracked down guitarist Brian Nelson to talk about the enduring appeal of Black Tambourine.
Asked about their new found fashionable status, the guitarist appeared to be pleased. “It’s very flattering to think that we are – at least in the conscious of the critics, if not the bands – part of the stepping stones along the way” he argued.
“Although I definitely think that a lot of those bands are more influenced by the same people we were, rather than by Black Tambourine. We share the same aesthetic. I don’t necessarily think that we were some pivotal group, but nonetheless it’s very flattering to be mentioned alongside a lot of cool new bands”.
Continuing, the guitarist spoke about his own feelings on Black Tambourine’s output. “I was always very happy with all of our recordings and our aesthetic. I felt we had an idea about what we wanted the band to be, and we came closest to achieving that- at least on record” he explained.
“The records aren’t especially well recorded or anything, they’re just underground lo-fi recordings, but I think we kind of nailed the sound we had in our head.”
To read the entire interview just click HERE.
