Photos courtesy of High Voltage
Emerging in the spring of 2023, the New York-based quartet Glimmer has rapidly transitioned from a fledgling project to a formidable presence in the contemporary heavy music landscape. Their initial two years have been characterized by a compelling output of well-received singles and an arduous commitment to live performance, cementing their reputation across stages in both the U.S. and Europe.
With the highly anticipated release of their debut LP, ‘Get Weak’, on October 3rd via Abandon Everything Records, Glimmer is poised to articulate a more expansive and sophisticated musical identity. The album serves as a definitive statement that their aptitude extends beyond the creation of punchy, hook-driven tracks, proving that their softer, more ethereal soundscapes are equally potent and impressionable.
Recorded in Brooklyn and meticulously mastered by Will Yip (renowned for his work with Turnstile and Superheaven), ‘Get Weak’ achieves a seamless cohesion across its diverse sonic palate. The record effortlessly navigates between pop-leaning singles such as “Dissolve” and “Sorrow Again,” propulsive, fuzzed-out alternative rock anthems like “Been Down,” and hazy, dream-pop ballads exemplified by “Bloom.” This synthesis of grunge, shoegaze, and dream pop taps into a certain ’90s nostalgia while managing to sound distinctly fresh and modern.
In a crowded field of shoegaze revivalists, where names often blur, Glimmer—comprised of Jeff Moore (vocals/guitar), Jaye Moore (drums), Johnny Nicholls (guitar), and Kevin Dobbins (bass)—distinguishes itself. Their sonic profile is perhaps best described as “grungegaze,” a term that reflects the significant presence of grunge-derived energy underlying their wash of effects. More specifically, their sound can be characterized as a blissed-out, fuzzed-up evolution of early Foo Fighters’ dynamism, presenting an appealing and potent blend for the current era.
‘Get Weak’ promises to be the pivotal release that clearly defines Glimmer’s significant contribution to the current alternative wave.
My thanks to Dana Cooper at High Voltage for coordinating and to Jeff for his time.
James Broscheid: Your debut LP, ‘Get Weak’, is described as a mix of grunge, shoegaze, and dream-pop, or “grungegaze.” How did you arrive at this unique blend, and what was the creative process like for fusing these distinct genres?
Jeff Moore: I think it was somewhat of an accident, really. I’d taken a long break from playing music before forming the band, and during that time I was listening to a lot of shoegaze, darkwave, and dream pop. I was just kind of drowning myself in music that matched my mood at the time. I was in a weird place and had no desire to create, but was absorbing all of this new music as well as rediscovering things I’d listened to in the past. Inevitably when I finally started writing again, it found its way into these new songs. I’ve always been into heavy, fuzzy guitars as well as dreamy textures, but I think it really came to the forefront when creating the sound for this band.
JB: Can you introduce us to the band and their roles in shaping the sound? The band has been together a couple of years now and have released a handful of singles. Why is now the right time for your debut LP?
JM: Yeah, so Jaye, our drummer, is my cousin and we’ve been playing together for a long time in various bands. When I decided to finally put the band together it was kind of a no-brainer for me to ask him to join, as we understand each other pretty well musically. When looking for other members, Kevin, our bass player, was the first person I thought of. I didn’t know him that well, but he seemed like a cool guy and I knew he could play. And Johnny, our other guitar player, expressed interest in playing with us as well. Those guys have also known each other for a long time and played together in other bands. The way the band formed sometimes blows my mind because it came together so seamlessly. From day one it worked. We all play our separate roles, whatever those may be.
As far as why the time is right for a full length, I think you can only say so much musically with singles. There are some songs that are important to the sound of the album that wouldn’t necessarily translate in that way. Timing wise, we probably could’ve released an album earlier, we had a lot of songs, but we wanted to get some music out and start touring first so that by the time we put out an album, we had more of an audience for it. Plus many songs we thought would make the album didn’t, and we kept writing better ones, so waiting kind of worked in our favor I think.
JB: The album is said to balance “heavy-hitting fuzzed out grungy anthems” with “ethereal and dreamy pop-leaning tracks.” Could you walk us through the intentionality of this light-and-dark dynamic? Were there specific tracks where you aimed for one extreme over the other?
JM: Well I think the only intention we had was to make sure that we put what we thought were the best songs on the album. That being said, I definitely didn’t want to have an album where you hit people over the head with the same sound over and over. So yes, in a way we wanted the album to flow much in the same way a song does. With dynamics and different sonic textures. It was very important to have some album tracks that sounded a certain way. Some of my favorite songs on my favorite albums are the ones that are more chill or not necessarily the singles.
JB: Will Yip, who has worked with bands like Turnstile and Title Fight, mastered the album. How did his expertise influence the final sound of ‘Get Weak’, and what was it like working with him to achieve the balance between your heavier and softer moments?
JM: Will is awesome. He’s definitely worked on some legendary records, and I was listening a lot of them during the aforementioned time before the band started. So the sound of those albums was a huge inspiration. When we got the chance to have him master some of our singles, it clicked for us sound wise. I have this thing in my head that I want the music to be ‘heavy but beautiful’ and that is what he does, I think.
JB: You recorded the LP with Jeff Berner of Psychic TV. What was his role in the recording process, and how did his input shape the album’s sound, if at all?
JM: Jeff and I have been working together for a long time, even before Glimmer. He’s one of the coolest people to work with. Not only is he amazing at what he does, but the vibe in the studio with him is super relaxed and chill. We have a language that we speak since we’ve worked together for so long, so I can kind of easily describe the sound I’m going for and he gets it and can make it happen. He’s a great guitar player too, and that helps as well since he understands when I want to have 12-14 guitar tracks on a song ha. He’s also incredibly patient, which comes in handy during the insanity of mixing since I’m very particular about everything. But yeah, the sound of the album is Jeff being able to capture what we do and make it sound the best it can be.
JB: The album title, ‘Get Weak’, is a bit ironic given the album’s strong sound. What is the meaning behind the title, and what were you hoping to convey with it?
JM: When I wrote the song “Get Weak,” I knew immediately that it was going to be on the album and that it would probably be the final track. And the title was always interesting to me in itself. I’ve actually always had this thing against having the name of a song be the album title, but everything with this band has been about trying to break away from old ideas or habits. So I thought that would be a good title for the record pretty quickly once I decided that I was cool with it. I also had this other idea for the album art that went with it, so that was another reason, but I ended up hating the idea and decided to just to keep the title. I think it also describes the idea of trying to be creatively vulnerable, which is something I’m interested in.
JB: Some of your single titles, like “Dissolve,” “Buried,” and “Daydream,” are described as accurately descriptive of your music. How do you approach songwriting, and do the themes or emotions of a song often influence its title?
JM: I’m pretty into song titles in general. I always want them to be memorable. Sometimes the title is right there in the chorus, but if not, I tend to look for a word that isn’t boring in the lyrics somewhere and use that. I do think the title has to have the same vibe as the song, so that’s also important. Songwriting is another beast altogether. I find for me, there is no specific approach except “does this sound good to me?” and “will I remember it tomorrow?”
JB: Press comparisons are inevitable and are fascinating/head-scratching to me. You’ve been mentioned in the same breath to 90s alt-rock bands like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Foo Fighters, as well as shoegaze pioneers like My Bloody Valentine and Swervedriver along with contemporaries like Narrow Head, Glare, Superheaven, even The Pains of Being Pure At Heart! Who were your biggest influences from these camps, and how do you feel you’ve evolved their sounds for a modern audience? Do you give much credence to such comparisons?
JM: All of those bands are 100% an influence in some way. I think they generally all sound pretty different, but the one thing they all have in common to me is that they have memorable songs. There’s a hookiness to them that I really gravitate towards. That’s something we always try to aspire to in our own songs. I don’t think we’ve really evolved anything to be honest, but I think we just try to write the best music we can, and hopefully it resonates with people in some way. We aren’t reinventing the wheel or anything. I don’t really pay too much attention to the comparisons, but it’s cool for people to hear things in our music that I personally like.
JB: The shoegaze revival scene is quite crowded right now. What do you feel sets Glimmer apart from other “gaze” bands? What is it about your sound that you believe is distinct and memorable?
JM: I’m not sure, to be honest. We do have some of the sonic qualities of shoegaze, grunge, and dream pop I suppose, but maybe “pop” is the key word here. I think there are elements in our songs that lend themselves to that sort of catchy vibe, so maybe the juxtaposition of that and the heavier elements of those genres make us a bit different.
JB: Your music has a nostalgic feel but is also of-the-moment. How do you strike that balance between paying homage to the 90s while creating something that feels fresh and contemporary?
JM: Well, I can only tell you that we don’t do any of that on purpose. For me it’s the only way I know how to write, and sonically, the songs just end up sounding like they do because that’s what sounds good to us. We have our influences, sure, and we always hope we can make music that we would want to listen to ourselves, but I couldn’t imagine not being authentic in the songwriting. I will say that I think that listening to new music and new bands all the time helps keep things fresh. I try to do that as much as possible. It’s inspiring, and there are so many great bands at the moment.
JB: You’ve received early praise from major outlets like NPR and Stereogum. How does that early recognition impact you as a band, and what kind of pressure, if any, does it create for a debut LP?
JM: I think it only impacts us in the sense that it gets us excited to keep going. It’s nice to have people pay attention to your art or whatever. As far as pressure, we don’t really feel any. We’re just trying to make the best music we possibly can, and if it connects with people, that’s amazing.
JB: You’re a New York-based band. Did the area’s unique energy or musical history influence the recording process or the overall vibe of your debut LP?
JM: I actually live about two hours north of the city in New Paltz, NY, in the Hudson Valley. I did live in Brooklyn for many years though, as did Jaye who’s also up this way now. I think being in a smaller town definitely shaped the sound and the vibe of the band. I was isolated for two years up here living in my own head before starting the band, and there’s a certain peace that you can achieve here that you can’t in NYC. So I think not living there has made the music and the album what it is. At the same time, Kevin and Johnny both live in the city, and we’ve recorded all of our singles and the album in Brooklyn. So taking these songs that were created here in that sort of calm space and then actually finalizing them in the city maybe gives it a certain dichotomy.
JB: Any chance you’ll be heading West of the Mississippi too? Are you finding it more difficult these days, in a logistical sense, trying to arrange a proper tour?
JM: We are absolutely planning on touring out west in 2026. That’s going to be our main focus next year: more touring. We’re working on making that happen on a bigger level as we speak. As far as logistics, it’s not that difficult to make it happen, there are just a lot of moving parts that have to come together, as well as the financial part of it. Nothing about this band has ever been convenient though, especially since we all live in different cities. But somehow we make it work, so we will continue to do so.
To have a listen or to purchase, please visit Glimmer’s Bandcamp or Abandon Everything Records.
