Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

My Bloody Valentine is F***ing Loud!

my bloody valentine kevin shields

Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine is one of the loudest guitarists around. And he puts his volume to work creating mythical tones that have captured so many of our imaginations, including our special shoegaze correspondent, guitarist and pedal-maestro Andy Pitcher, who is our guest today.


My Bloody Valentine has a short discography made up of just a few albums and EPs that span decades. Meticulous as he seems to be, Shields creates texture out of his layers of tracks and loops and fuzz throughout, creating a music that needs to be felt as much as it needs to be heard.

We go to the ultimate source as Billy Corgan leaves us a message about how it felt to hear those sounds in the pre-internet days, when rather than pull up a YouTube clip, your imagination would have to guide you toward a tone.

But not everyone is an MBV fan, so this conversation is part superfan hype and part debate. We can all agree Kevin Shields is a guitarists you should know, but we can’t all agree what to do with that information.

This episode is sponsored by Fender.
Learn more: https://www.fender.com./

Wampler Catacombs

Meet the Wampler Catacombs and the Syntax: The Catacombs offers delay and reverb pedal with 11 iconic sounds in one intuitive package. While the the Wampler Syntax features a compact and versatile MIDI program selector, tap-tempo controller, and amp channel switcher.

Read MoreShow less
Keeley Octa Psi Demo | First Look
- YouTube

Ferocious fuzz forces, a +/- 2-octave range, and the capacity for odd intervals make this menacing machine almost as much synth as dirt device.

Read MoreShow less

On this episode of the 100 Guitarists podcast, we’re talking about our favorite Lukather tracks, from his best rhythm parts to his most rippin’ solos. And even though he spends most of his playing time with the biggest names, we’ve managed to call up a few deep cuts.

Read MoreShow less

Friends and guitar legends in the making Tom Bukovac (left) and Guthrie Trapp map out some recording strategy for In Stereo, with an acoustic guitar and air drums.

Nashville session and stage MVPs craft an aural wonderland with their genre-defying instrumental album, In Stereo.

Working from a shared language of elegance and grit, Nashville guitar domos Tom Bukovac and Guthrie Trapp have crafted In Stereo, an album that celebrates the transcendent power of instrumental music—its ability to transport listeners and to convey complex emotions without words.

Read MoreShow less