(1963-05-21) 21 May 1963 (age 61) Queens, New York City, U.S.
Origin
Dublin, Ireland
Genres
Shoegaze, dream pop, noise rock, ambient, experimental rock
Occupation(s)
Musician, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer
Instrument(s)
Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard
Years active
1979–present
Labels
Creation, Island, Sony, PASK, Pickpocket, mbv, Domino
Member of
My Bloody Valentine
Formerly of
Primal Scream
Musical artist
Kevin Patrick Shields (born 21 May 1963) is an American-born Irish musician, singer-songwriter, composer, and producer, best known as the vocalist and guitarist of the band My Bloody Valentine. They became influential on the evolution of alternative rock with two of their studio albums Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991), pioneering a subgenre known as shoegaze.[1] Shields's texturised guitar sound and his experimentation with his guitars' tremolo systems resulted in the creation of the "glide guitar" technique, which became a recognisable aspect of My Bloody Valentine's sound, along with his meticulous production techniques.[2]
Following My Bloody Valentine's dissolution in the late 1990s, Shields became a frequent guest musician, producer, engineer, and remixer with various bands and artists, including Experimental Audio Research, Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr, and Mogwai. In 1998 he became a touring member of Primal Scream. Shields contributed several original compositions to the soundtrack of Sofia Coppola's 2003 film Lost in Translation, which earned him nominations for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) awards.[3][4] In 2008, Shields released a collaborative live album together with Patti Smith entitled The Coral Sea.
My Bloody Valentine reunited in 2007, and released their third studio album m b v in February 2013. The album was composed entirely by Shields and had been in production since the late 1990s, when Shields was rumoured to have been suffering from writer's block.[5][6] Shields has since been featured in several publications' best-of-lists, including Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists and Spin's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.[7][8] Multiple musicians have also cited him as an influence, including Billy Corgan and J Mascis.
^"Shoegaze | Significant Albums, Artists and Songs". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
^DeRogatis, Jim (2 December 2001). "A love letter to guitar". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
^"Film | Anthony Asquith Award for Original Film Music in 2004". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
^"Winners 2004 | IFTA". Irish Film and Television Awards. Irish Film and Television Academy. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
^"Shields spills all about My Bloody Valentine split". Hot Press. Osnovina. 22 March 2004. Retrieved 10 November 2013. (subscription required)
^Lester, Paul (12 March 2004). "I lost it | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
^Fricke, David (3 December 2010). "100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks – Kevin Shields". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
^Kandell, Steve (3 May 2013). "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time | Best of SPIN". Spin. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
Kevin Patrick Shields (born 21 May 1963) is an American-born Irish musician, singer-songwriter, composer, and producer, best known as the vocalist and...
KevinShields is an Irish musician, singer-songwriter, composer, and producer who has released one collaborative album and scored the film Lost in Translation...
Bloody Valentine, features a dance-oriented beat behind three tracks of KevinShields' "glide guitar". Problems playing this file? See media help. Shoegaze...
Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress. A child model starting at the age of 11 months, Shields gained widespread notoriety...
and Fly Anakin. A remix of Full Time Lover track "House of Cards" by KevinShields was released as part of the Lex-XX remix series on January 23, 2023...
featured the bands' first collaboration with KevinShields, on his remix of the title track. Later that year, Shields joined the band on tour and would have...
a band discovering its unique voice" with vocalists and guitarists KevinShields and Bilinda Butcher "exploring the guitar landscapes that would later...
released on Creation Records. Written by KevinShields and Bilinda Butcher, "Only Shallow" features Shields' distinctive guitar sound—a technique known...
Irish musician KevinShields of My Bloody Valentine on the band's releases You Made Me Realise (1988) and Isn't Anything (1988). Shields often combined...
Daniel Lanois, Laurie Anderson, Grace Jones, Slowdive, Karl Hyde, James, KevinShields, and Damon Albarn. Dating back to his time as a student, Eno has also...
1959), Irish footballer Kevin Sherman (born 1968), American football player and coach KevinShields (born 1963), musician Kevin Shoemake (born 1965), English...
self-released on 2 February 2013. Produced by the band's vocalist and guitarist KevinShields, m b v was the band's first full-length release of original material...
hailed Walker's guitar sound as "really, really strong", while peer KevinShields of My Bloody Valentine praised Walker's guitar playing, which he described...
Inventions' Colm Ó Cíosóig and his former My Bloody Valentine bandmate KevinShields. Sullivan, Jim (June 24, 2021). "Hope Sandoval Springs Eternal". rockandrollglobe...
Featuring the band's original line-up of vocalist David Conway, guitarist KevinShields, drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig and keyboardist Christine "Tina" Durkin, the...
in 2000 and 2001. In 2003, he was nominated for a BAFTA, along with KevinShields of My Bloody Valentine, for the score to Lost in Translation. He is...