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Subgenre of alternative and indie rock music

Slowcore, also known as sadcore, is a subgenre of indie rock characterised by subdued tempos with typically minimalist instrumentation alongside solemn and melancholic lyrical performances. The history of slowcore began in the late 1980s with bands forming in reaction to the abrasive sounds of grunge. Slow rock music, akin to singer songwriter and folk, laid the groundwork for the genre in the early years and until the mid 1990s, where Low played a pivotal role in establishing slowcore as one of the era's microgenres; however, despite their retrospective acclamation as slowcore pioneers, Low was not the first band to produce slowcore. Codeine, Red House Painters, and Bedhead all released influential albums earlier that decade, while American Music Clubwidely considered to be the genre's first actformed in 1982. Regardless, the mellow and restrained sound of Low's debut, I Could Live in Hope (1994), and their albums that followed over the next several years, came to define slowcore. Spain, Duster, and Ida, among others, all followed Low and furthered the reach of the genre, and by the 2000s, slowcore had an obvious sound, even without clear categorisation. Artists like Carissa's Wierd, Jason Molina, and Duster incorporated its archetypical sound in their music throughout the introductory years of the 21st century, while others, including Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions, Grouper, and Sun Kil Moon, were more experimental but remained within the genre's confines. Because of slowcore's broad interpretation, observers have described several other musicians and bands as slowcore. The term "slowcore" derives from "slow", referring to the tempo and energy of the music, and " core", which refers to a scene, style, or musical subgenre. "Sadcore" imitates similar etymology, and the names are used interchangeably. The term itself has an unclear origin, though sources suggest "slowcore"'s use started in the early 1990s. Scholars and bands alike have shown ambivalence towards the name, with some deeming it pejorative.

Within music, the suffix " core" infers a scene or style, originating with "hardcore". The American Dialect Society describes it more generally as a "productive suffix for aesthetic trends". "Slow" refers to the pace of the music. Another claim to the origin of the term is from Alan Sparhawk of Low, a band often considered monumental in the growth of the genre. In an interview with The Paper Crane podcast, Sparhawk said his friend had coined the term "slowcore" as a joke and that he had humorously mentioned it in one of his band's earliest shows ( 1993). He said that after he used it in an interview, the popularity of the phrase increased, as did Low's media attention. in 1998, Sparhawk called it "cheesy". Regardless, the term grew in popularity and in an interview with Vice in 2018, Sparhawk recognised his band as being influential in slowcore's growth and success.

The sound that would become known as "slowcore" began emerging in the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a counterpoint to the rapid growth of louder rock genres, especially grunge. Grunge fused elements of punk rock and heavy metal to create a scene which Bruce Pavitt, co founder of the record label Sub Pop, described as "gritty vocals, roaring Marshall amps, ultra loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation". though unlike grunge, the early years of slowcore did not have a defined scene or any geographic hotspots. American Music Club, hailing from San Francisco, California, are considered an early slowcore band. Releasing their debut The Restless Stranger in 1985, the band's music was slow and with characteristics akin to genres like folk and singer songwriter. This style was echoed by other bands at the time, such as the Canadian Cowboy Junkies, who were creating minimalist country and blues, and would come to define aspects of slowcore. as did the rest of their discography, although their dream pop style was not entirely indicative of how slowcore would develop. Red House Painters, as well as being its heyday. Throughout this period, the amount of bands and albums associated with the genre grew greatly, establishing its fundamental sound and style. Codeine's music received attention over the following years, and after the release of the Barely Real extended play in 1992, the Toronto Star described them as having a "unique 'slowcore' sound". By The White Birch, their 1994 sophomore and ultimate album, Codeine had cemented themselves as a prominent band within the scene. The album is bleak in both lyrics and composition; Down Colorful Hill, alongside their following albums Rollercoaster (1993) and Bridge (1993), have been described as instilling feelings of "desperation, regret, and general darkness". Earles contended that Red House Painters was the saddest band within slowcore in the early 1990s. Another early band was Bedhead, which formed in 1991 and released their debut WhatFunLifeWas in 1994. This album consisted of soft vocals and dynamic instrumentation, A year after Bedhead's formation, Idaho, another prominent band in these preliminary years, formed, and began releasing music in 1993 after signing with Caroline Records. Like Bedhead, they released slowcore albums throughout the decadetheir debut being Year After Year (1993); however, Idaho persisted into the next century.

The mid 1990s were an experimental period in music throughout North America and Europe, with new microgenres rapidly appearing. Other bands, such as Acetone, Slint, and Swans were producing slow songs that, on the outset, appeared to relate to slowcore but were better categorised under these other emerging genres. These elements resulted in slowcore being an unclearly defined and confusing genre. Low, hailing from Duluth, Minnesota, would ultimately create the genre's archetypical sound. This album was different from its predecessors: while it maintained stylistic similarities with other bands' sparse instrumentation, it was more difficult to categorise into the other associated genres, like dream pop or shoegaze. Due to this unique sound, Low are heralded as pioneers of the genre; Low would continue to release slowcore albums throughout the rest of the decade and the early 2000s, after which they transitioned towards other genres. Among them was Ida, composed of Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton, who released their debut, Tales of Brave Ida in 1994. This was followed by I Know About You in 1996, which Rubsam considered a slowcore "classic". Bluetile Lounge, an Australian band, released their debut (Lowercase) a year after Ida's debut, in 1995. The For Carnation released their debut EP, Fight Songs the same year. Two years later, Radar Bros.'s self titled debut album was released. These latter four bands were mentioned by Stevie Chick as examples of the way slowcore evolved after Low in an article for The Guardian. She writes, in respect of the first three: "the genre grew to encompass the blue lullabies of Spain; the hypnotic intimacy of the For Carnation [ ]; [and] the whispered confessions of early Cat Power". Nearing the end of the decade, Duster released Stratosphere (1998). By this point, the band had already released a few EPs but had failed to garner a notable reputation. The album was reviewed by Pitchfork and other zines, and the band would release one final album, Contemporary Movement (2000), before disbanding until 2018. Despite this, Duster's initial cult following and later resurgence would ultimately make them one of the most influential bands within slowcore.