Slowdive were formed in Reading in late 1989 by vocalist–guitarists Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell.
The duo recruited guitarist Christian Savill, bassist Nick Chaplin and drummer Adrian Sell—who left the band after they signed to Creation Records and before the release of their eponymous EP Slowdive in 1990.
Released to critical acclaim from the alternative press,[1] Slowdive was succeeded by a further two EPs, Morningrise and Holding Our Breath (1991), both of which placed in the UK Singles Chart;[2] Holding Our Breath reached number 5 on the UK Independent Singles Chart.
[3] The band's debut studio album, Just for a Day, was released in September 1991 to poor reviews, due in part to the British press' growing disillusion with the shoegazing genre.
Halstead had dominated the recording process, with the album only featuring minor contributions by Goswell and Ian McCutcheon, the band's new drummer.