Shoegaze Goes Digitized With Novulent
Before the world wide web, there was always a level of disconnect between artists and their fanbase. You would collect liner notes and records, watch MTV or radio interviews, and tape posters to the wall. Musicians would be held to the same level as idols- distant, untouchable, divine. The internet age has all but eliminated this style of fandom. We live in the era of bedroom pop, where messy-haired teenagers sit on the floor of their rooms with a guitar and hit record on their phones. Songs are lofi, grunge, raw. Fans want artists who feel close to them, that they can project themselves onto.
One such artist who has developed a devoted fanbase is the Texas-based Novulent, who began their career uploading clips to TikTok. In a new album heavily inspired by hardcore and shoegaze, Novulent carves out their own niche in an oversaturated space, providing a more raw sound compared to their more famous counterparts. The result is like Deftones for the internet age, drenched in the grunge aesthetic made popular on TikTok with inspirations from the film Heathers to the video game Persona 5.
Credit: Siena Saba
I say all of this with a sense of admiration, and not the condescension common when referring to “TikTok music.” Rather than the shallow image this description commonly evokes, Novulent comes across as a deeply thoughtful individual. Even basic questions like “what advice would you give your childhood self” yields a more surprising response: “I’d be very careful with what I tell them, because my music career would change in an unpredictable way if I got too specific.” This thoughtfulness extends to their artistry as well- each of their releases builds on previous ones, going from self-published singles made on an iPhone to three full length mixtapes released under Capitol Records. Novulent is leery of describing their sound as changing, however, describing change as “a complete 180, whereas maturing is a fuller realization of what I want to be.” This thoughtfulness shines through in their songwriting, which has matured greatly from their initial mixtape in 2022. Tracks like “can time heal all wounds” and “dysphoria” are highlights. None of their songs overstay their welcome, giving the impression that every second counts. The result is a neat, forty-minute collection of shoegaze anthems, covering the raw emotions of growing up a teenager in the age of the Internet.
Shoegaze for the internet age is an interesting concept- hardcore music always seems best enjoyed in the mosh pit, slamming into other people as violently as possible. However, Novulent has an event for this as well- NovaMas, a one-day rock festival hosted in their hometown of Dallas, Texas. Taking inspiration from musician YUNGBLUD’s Bludfest, Novulent hoped for the festival to be a “gigantic safe space for alternative rock, on the level of Rolling Loud. ”Their music is well-suited for this sort of venue- their latest album, simply titled Vol.3, has plenty of songs perfect for breaking your arms to (check out “boys lie, girls steal” for peak thrashing music). It’s inspiring to see an artist with such a large following online take such steps for bringing those connections to the real world. In a time when so much of reality is confined to screens, there is something like church to be found in a mosh pit, and Novulent (among other immensely talented hardcore musicians) provides the hymnals.