12 shoegaze and alt-rock songs that informed Blushing’s new album Sugarcoat

Austin dream-pop quartet Blushing create music that feels like a lost tape from the ’90s but still stands on its own in the modern age. With Sugarcoat, their new album that arrives this Friday via Kanine Records, the dual husband and wife pairs of Christina and Noe Carmona, plus Michelle and Jacob Soto, are getting even spacier. But thanks to the careful production of Ringo Deathstarr’s Elliott Frazier and mastering from Ride’s Mark Gardener, Sugarcoat never sounds drowsy. In fact, the songs are expansive and hypnotic — springing from shimmering psychedelia to grunge pop to post-punk with an unremitting reverence for all the genres that informed them over the years. Yes, there are their ’90s alt-rock predecessors — Elastica, Lush, the Breeders, and the Smashing Pumpkins all come to mind — but there’s also Jay Som, Flasher, and Hello Mary. 

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To ring in its release, Blushing revealed some of the shoegaze and alt-rock cuts that defined Sugarcoat from start to end.

Jale – “Ali”

Jale made these fuzzy and sweet alt-rock songs in the mid-’90s and deserves so much more recognition! What inspired me the most about this song in particular was the rapid-fire, mouthful of lyrics that expand and contract between each section. I enjoy writing really wordy melodies with lots of twists and turns. It’s a fun challenge, and Jale did this very well –Michelle Soto

Hum – “Iron Clad Lou”

Hum are masters at being both heavy and light, fast and slow, then ripping open a huge wall of noise. But always on the other side of their wall of noise is just incredible songwriting and catchy melodies. They are hugely inspiring to so many and continue to set the bar extremely high. If you’re ever driving down a desert highway at night, put this song on. It will change your life. —Michelle Soto

Hello Mary – “Sink In”

A modern band flawlessly carrying the torch of ’90s grunge pop. This song is so reminiscent of Silverchair and Veruca Salt — another two favorites. It’s inspiring to see new bands embrace the sound but make it their own and channel their own experiences and inspirations into the music —Michelle Soto

The Sundays – “Goodbye”

As a massive fan of the Sundays, their influence is prominent on all of our records. I have been chasing the feel and sound of “Goodbye” since we recorded our first EP. The steady buildup to the end of this track is something I still cannot compare to anything else. Ideas of this song alone can be found sprinkled throughout the entirety of our new record. —Jacob Soto

Jawbreaker – “Accident Prone”

Jawbreaker is a huge influence on the band, of course, and even though some people are anti-Dear You, it’s one of the best records ever made. The huge, driving, Big Muff distorted chorus just hits so hard that I wanted to base the entirety of our song “Silver Teeth” off that vibe. —Jacob Soto

Tricot – “Tokyo Vampire Hotel”

Tricot is a J-rock band that I have been listening to well before Blushing even started and since have been lucky enough to share the stage with them during their U.S. tour. Their ability to go from playing insane math-rock verses to solid hook choruses to huge outros or breakdowns is great. I definitely was listening to a lot of their stuff when arranging our song “Fizz” on the new record. —Jacob Soto

Björk – “Army of Me”
Going down a Björk rabbit hole one sleepless night, I came across the “Army of Me” music video and was really inspired by the synth bass and percussion. Tribal meets industrial, it really spoke to me and inspired us when writing Sugarcoat. —Noé Carmona

Curve – “Wish You Dead”
Curve is on my shoegaze Mount Rushmore. The drum patterns are so tasteful, driving, and full of energy. Toni Halliday has a great ear for melody, which is what we strive for during our writing process. —Noé Carmona

Jay Som – “Our Red Door”
Whether I’m writing a guitar part or trying to create a feeling/energy, I’m always chasing the unicorn. Jay Som’s “Our Red Door” gave me this beautiful feeling of clarity and really inspired me to simplify my guitar work. DIIV also does a great job at this. —Noé Carmona

Republica – “Drop Dead Gorgeous”
I wanted to explore a different part of my voice on this record. This song captures the vibe I was going for, so I would sing along to it when working on songs like “Slyce.” —Christina Carmona

Garbage – “Push it”
Garbage writes such amazing hooks and always captures the perfect groove. My bass playing is often inspired by Garbage songs. Shirley Manson has a vocal range and energy in her voice that really inspires me as a singer. —Christina Carmona

Flasher – “Pressure”
Flasher’s Constant Image has such a fun sound, and “Pressure” is one of my favorites. I wanted to bottle the feeling this song gives me and put it into “Tamagotchi.” —Christina Carmona