Q&A: Glixen are Redefining the Sound of the Shoegaze Renaissance
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
Heriberto Gallegos
INSIDE GLIXEN’S ETHEREAL, HEAVY WORLD AT RIOT FEST — Arriving as a standout force in the current shoegaze renaissance, Phoenix four-piece Glixen are transcending both the expectations of the genre and the boundaries of what modern shoegaze can sound like. On Friday, September 18, the band made their Riot Fest debut as one of the festival’s opening acts, immediately setting an atmospheric tone for the weekend. As dreamy, ethereal guitars reverberated across the festival grounds, Glixen transformed the early afternoon crowd into an immersive listening experience.
Though rooted in the hazy textures and expansive walls of sound synonymous with shoegaze, Glixen's music is profoundly heavy. Their songs pay respect to the genre's predecessors while refusing to exist solely within its familiar framework. Instead, the band pulls from a wide-ranging palette of influences, including Björk, My Bloody Valentine, Godflesh, t.A.T.u., and Hum, interlacing elements of dream pop, industrial music and alternative rock.
Dense layers of distortion and towering guitar arrangements create an almost physical sense of pressure, while lead vocalist Aislinn Ritchie's voice floats above the noise with a striking softness. Her lulling vocals provide an emotional counterweight to the band's heavier instincts, creating a push-and-pull between delicacy and destruction. The result is music that can feel simultaneously intimate and enormous.
Ritchie began Glixen in 2020, eventually enlisting Esteban Santana (guitars), Keire Johnson (drums), and Sonia Garcia (bass) to build the project's expansive sonic world. Together, the four-piece has developed a sound that feels deeply connected to the lineage of shoegaze.
At Riot Fest, that evolution was on full display. Making their debut on one of Chicago's largest alternative music stages, Glixen’s performance was immersive, ethereal and magnetic. As the opening hours of Riot Fest gave way to a packed weekend of performances, Glixen had already made their mark.
Following their Riot Fest debut, Luna sat down with Glixen for an exclusive interview to reflect on their place within the current shoegaze renaissance, the evolution of their sound and what it means to carry the genre into its next chapter. The Phoenix four-piece also opened up about how they prepare for the intensity of a major festival performance and offered an exciting sneak peek into their upcoming album.
Heriberto Gallegos
LUNA: Welcome back and thank you for talking to Luna again. It's super exciting to have you back since the last time we talked before “Lust” was released. This has been such a huge year for you guys in terms of touring and playing live shows. You’ve built a solid reputation for your live shows. How do you keep your performances fresh and engaging for both longtime fans and new listeners seeing you for the first time?
ESTEBAN: We've been adding a lot of different dynamics to the sound, like we have drum tracks now, and we have a song with electronic drums. I think that adds to the feeling of the atmosphere we create. I love the feeling of that shaking 808 sound. Yeah. It's not entirely a club sound, but it's Glixen in a 1 a.m. setting.
AISLINN: We have somebody playing guitar for me, so that I can just perform.
SONIA: Aislinn getting off of the guitar and being able to be just in front of it has definitely changed the energy in the crowd. I've noticed. It's beautiful. There's a lot more connection between performer and audience. She's freer to express herself as an artist.
LUNA: Riot Fest has such a unique energy — both on stage and throughout the grounds. What’s the atmosphere like for you, and how does it compare to other shows and festivals you’ve played?
SONIA: Good. Everyone's so nice. It's also crazy seeing so many huge artists on this fest. There's so many amazing fans here, so that's exciting.
LUNA: What goes on backstage for you to ensure you play your best set? Do you have any pre-show rituals, routines, or regimens that help you get centered and in the right headspace?
AISLINN: Me and Sonia always get ready together. We always have to get ready, and we have to find time for that. The ritual is driving to the venue.
ESTEBAN: Getting really caffeinated. Have some really good coffee, some really good food, and everything is going to be alright.
AISLINN: A shot of tequila.
ESTEBAN: Or whiskey.
KEIRE: You have to keep the wristband on you or else you can’t get in anywhere.
LUNA: What’s one festival survival essential that each member of Glixen would bring with them?
ESTEBAN: A portable charger.
LUNA: Glixen has become part of what many are calling a new American shoegaze renaissance. As the shoegaze revival continues to grow, are there aspects of the genre’s resurgence that excite you or surprise you?
KEIRE: I've heard breakbeats in a few songs I thought were really interesting, and the 808 element to it. Some bands are doing that, and it's pretty exciting. It's like just something different.
LUNA: As your audience expands, what do you hope remains unchanged about Glixen?
ESTEBAN: I feel like since the beginning nothing has changed, so it feels very special. We're all best friends, so it feels like nothing will change.
AISLINN: We have such a strong connection that I feel like change is good. We just go through change together. Change is normal every hour, so we just go through it together.
LUNA: How do you hope listeners can connect with or find power in this new era of music from you? What emotions or messages do you want to leave with them?
AISLINN: When I'm writing my lyrics, I really want to just feel like myself, and I just hope people that listen to it can just feel whatever they want to feel within that specific song.
LUNA: Glixen has been on such a strong streak. What is fueling your fire right now, both creatively and personally, as you step into this new chapter of shows and music?
AISLINN: Having to write an album. We're writing an album.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
AISLINN: We're feeling great. We've been home for like three months, which is really new. We've been touring for three years straight, and this will be our first album, our first time actually sitting at home. We're going to play another festival at the end of the year, and we're not touring. We're just writing and recording. Hopefully next year the album will be out.
Heriberto Gallegos
