The Best Shoegaze and C86 Cover songs, All in One Playlist
Shoegaze and C86/twee shouldn’t really work together on paper. One is drowning in noise, the other is jangly and clear as day. But somehow if you love one, you tend to love the other too. Fans of this stuff seem to cross over more than genre logic would suggest, and this playlist leans right into that. Listen on Spotify
We’ve put together twenty tracks of shoegaze, dream pop and C86/twee artists covering each other’s songs, plus a few surprises from outside the genre too. Some are faithful, some completely reimagine the original, and a couple are barely recognisable until the lyrics kick in.
A few worth pointing out. Asobi Seksu take on Never Understand by Jesus and Mary Chain and somehow make it feel both familiar and brand new. Trespassers William slow Vapour Trail by Ride right down, turning it into something softer and more haunting. Boris cover Sometimes by My Bloody Valentine and pull it into their own heavier, hazier world.
Seapony’s cover of Just Like Honey is also included, though it’s currently pulled from Spotify. Hopefully it finds its way back at some point, it’s one of the best on the whole list.
| Artist | Song | Original Artist |
|---|---|---|
| Seapony | Emma’s House | The Field Mice |
| Aberdeen | Emma’s House | The Field Mice |
| Trespassers William | Vapour Trail | Ride |
| Saint Etienne | Kiss and Make Up | The Field Mice |
| Mark Gardener | Vapour Trail (Live) | Ride |
| The Radio Dept. | Bachelor Kisses | The Go Betweens |
| Boris | Sometimes | My Bloody Valentine |
| Brittle Stars | Souvenir | O.M.D. |
| Seapony | Just Like Honey | Jesus and Mary Chain |
| Lotte Kestner | Alison | Slowdive |
| Galaxie 500 | Ceremony | New Order |
| Slowdive | Some Velvet Morning | Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra |
| Asobi Seksu | Never Understand | Jesus and Mary Chain |
| Destroyalldreamers | Souvlaki Space Station | Slowdive |
| Lotte Kestner | Fade into You | Mazzy Star |
| Mint Julep | It’s My Life | Talk Talk |
| The Imaginary Boy | Today | Ride |
| Pelagic United and Friends | Soon | My Bloody Valentine |
A couple of entries are left blank rather than guessed at, we would rather leave a gap than tell you something that isn’t confirmed.
Listen
The full playlist is on Spotify, twenty tracks and just over an hour and a half of listening.
We are sure there are covers we have missed. If you know of a great shoegaze or C86 cover that should be on here, get in touch and we will add it.
