Shoegaze is very much having a moment right now. That much is apparent from the proliferation of new, young shoegaze acts like Wisp and Sign Crushes Motorist picking up steam on social media to the resurgence in popularity as evidenced by progenitors like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. Even archival label The Numero Group is recovering lost classics like Majesty Crush’s Butterflies Don’t Go Away for a reissue, giving it another chance in the limelight. Although they don’t hail from the subgenre’s ‘90s prime, it feels like an auspicious moment for Blushing.
Based in Austin, the double married-couple quartet, composed of Christina and Noe Carmona plus Michelle and Jacob Soto, adds a jolt of adrenalized volume to their hook-heavy strain of dream-pop. Sugarcoat, their new album, overflows with enveloping, luxurious guitar tones and translucent atmospherics with production that feels nonetheless defined, thanks to the mixing, engineering, and mastering from Ride’s Mark Gardener and Ringo Deathstarr’s Elliott Frazier. From start to finish, Sugarcoat makes a strong case for Blushing as one of the best new shoegaze bands around.
Following the record’s release this Friday, Christina and Michelle sat down with Uproxx to talk about skipping school to see Nine Inch Nails, staying in a place on tour where the walls were lined with copies of Shrek, and collecting Korok seeds in The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom in our latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Christina – fuzzy, sunny, colorful, hooks.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Christina – I think I’d like to be remembered as a band that wrote music with a lot of sonic variety.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Christina – Probably my parents (sorry if that’s cheesy!). They are musicians that were able to continue performing and making music while providing for my brother and me, which is really inspiring to me.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?
Michelle – Best Quality Daughter in San Antonio, I got the Panang curry dan dan noodles.
Christina – Sushi is my favorite but I have a particularly fond memory of an okonomiyaki spot we found in Harajuku.
Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.
Christina – Nine Inch Nails at Stubb’s BBQ in 2005. They were my favorite band, so I skipped school and had the best time.
Michelle – Fischerspooner at Stubb’s BBQ in 2003. Not sure if it was the best concert but it was the most entertaining.
What song never fails to make you emotional?
Michelle – “Love Ridden” by Fiona Apple.
Christina – “Sleep” by Eric Whitacre.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
Michelle – “How long do hard boiled eggs last”
Christina – TOTK korok seed locations
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Michelle – The walls were lined with stacks and stacks of VHS tapes, but for the most part it was all the same movie, Shrek. Tons of copies of Shrek. The next morning when we were packing up to leave we found a man’s wallet on the floor. It looked like Noe’s wallet so we opened it to make sure it was his and inside in the plastic frame where a loved one’s picture would go was a photo of Fiona and Shrek kissing. It was not Noe’s wallet. We put the wallet on the coffee table and got out of there. It was so nice of them to let us crash but I gotta say that was a weird one, to each their own. I mean we all might as well be walking on the sun!
Christina – While on tour with Ringo Deathstarr, we stayed with our friends The Stargazer Lilies at their beautiful home- essentially a mid-century treehouse in the woods with almost 360 windows. It was snowing outside, the fireplace was cozy, Kim made the best pasta, and we drank red wine all night. However, it was dark and isolated, and there were howling coyotes outside (I think), which was all a bit eerie. It felt like a David Lynch movie! It’s by far one of my favorite tour memories.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?
Michelle – Fukuoka was my favorite. I hope we can play in Mexico City one day.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Michelle – Very sadly it wouldn’t matter. My 18-year-old self wouldn’t take advice from anyone.
Christina – Have more fun and say “yes” more.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
Michelle – I have so few talents that I don’t keep any of them hidden!
Christina – I have a good Ash Ketchum impression (or any 10-year-old boy anime character). I would love to do voice acting. Please hire me!
If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?
Michelle – It would be so hard to choose just one, I would have to split between World Central Kitchen, The Ocean Cleanup, and ASPCA.
Christina – ASPCA or HAAM. HAAM (Health Alliance For Austin Musicians) provides health care and health services for musicians in Austin. I’ve been a recipient of HAAM and I hope to be able to give back one day.
What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?
Michelle – A year ago I asked AI to write a song about a pug just for fun. It was scary how good it was. But now I am seeing AI generating nonsensical crab Jesus photos so I am not sure if AI will be taking over our creative industries – just yet.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.
Michelle – The Sundays, The Dead Milkmen, The Sugarcubes, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult and Veruca Salt at Pappy and Harriets.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?
Christina – The algorithm put menswear writer Derek Guy in my view. He writes long threads about tailoring, fabrics, textures, putting pieces together, etc. I love it.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
Michelle – I got my first tattoo when I was 16 using a fake ID at a shop down the street from my house. My mom found out about it and went down to the shop and yelled at the tattoo artist for tattooing a 16-year-old. He then showed her the photocopy of the fake ID I used and so that made things so much worse. To this day I feel awful for some of the sh*t I put my mom through as a teen. Luckily we can laugh about it now.
What is your pre-show ritual?
Michelle – Tequila + soda + lime
Christina – Look for food near the venue.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Michelle – Scut Farkus from A Christmas Story.
Christina – David Bowie. Labyrinth had a profound impact on me!
You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?
Michelle – Japan with Jake and our pug Gizmo. I’d love for my son Slade to join us but he prefers to travel solo.
What is your biggest fear?
Christina – stepping on a snail while barefoot…again :(
Sugarcoat is out now via Kanine Records. Find more information here.
