Psychocandy – The Jesus and Mary Chain (1985)

October 24, 2025

In the early 80s, brothers Jim and William Reid found themselves disgusted with the middling synth pop they were hearing on the radio, and were adamant about forming a guitar-centric band that wouldn’t rely on synthesizers or drum machines. Their inspirations consisted of genres that would seemingly be worlds apart – on one hand, punk bands like the Stooges, the New York Dolls, and Suicide; on the other, 60s pop rock acts like the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones; and then somewhere in-between, the Velvet Underground, who perfectly blended punk, pop, and art rock. But surprisingly, neither one of the brothers wanted to take on lead singer duties and decided to flip a coin to determine who would fill the role – with Jim winning (or in his mind, losing) the toss. 

After bringing along a supporting cast consisting of a drummer and bassist – they would begin to earn a punk rock reputation by playing early shows with an out-of-tune guitar, a two-drum kit, and a bass with three strings. And on top of their already bare-bones equipment choices, the band became known for their amphetamine-fueled sets where they would turn their backs to the audience and only play for about twenty minutes – understandably sparking some anger from the young, intoxicated attendees. At one show, the audience got so fed up that they began throwing bottles at the stage, leading to exaggerated reports of rioting by the British press and a story in The Sun that called them “the new Sex Pistols” – which is truly the type of publicity that all the advertising dollars in the world couldn’t buy for an upstart rock band.

The “riot” that put the Jesus and Mary Chain on the map

So after gaining some notoriety on the road and within the indie rock scene, the Jesus and Mary Chain knew they had to capitalize on their moment. But when they first hit the studio, they realized that their music sounded far too similar to the Ramones and opted to add in more noise and feedback that would both establish their own unique sound and ultimately influence the shoegaze bands that would gain popularity over the course of the late 80s and early 90s. And in 1985, they would earn the first big success of their career with the release of the single, “Upside Down,” which would top the UK indie chart, go on to become one of the best selling independent singles of the entire decade, and give them the leverage they needed to get a deal for their debut record – Psychocandy.

Wisely leaning into their pop influences as much as their punk ones, they were able to release a record that was not just excellent, but also commercially viable – reaching #31 on the UK pop chart; hitting #188 on the Billboard 200; and featuring three singles that charted in the UK. One of those singles, “Just Like Honey” – which would go on to become the band’s best known song and biggest hit – lifted the opening drum intro from the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” demonstrating the band’s pop acumen despite their punk rock aesthetic. The Reid brothers include a lot of lyrics about failed relationships and romantic rejection – with songs like “The Hardest Walk,” “Cut Dead,” “Taste of Cindy,” “You Trip Me Up,” and “It’s So Hard” – as well as a thematic throughline of depression, angst, and rage on “Taste the Floor,” “Never Understand,” “Inside Me,” “Sowing Seeds,” and “Something’s Wrong” (both of which would become thematic precursors for a lot of the sad boy shoegaze still to come in the following years). They also pay direct homage to two of their influences – citing the lyrics of Joy Division’s “Heart and Soul” on “In a Whole,” and making a thinly veiled reference to the Velvets on “My Little Underground.”

Douglas Hart, William Reid, Jim Reid, and Bobby Gillespie

The Jesus and Mary Chain are another example of an excellent British indie band that never quite reached the highest echelon of commercial success and fame. But despite not having household name recognition, they did far better than expected for a band that was heavily branded as being outside the mainstream. Where they were able to succeed – much like their forefathers in Orange Juice – was realizing that 70s punk and 60s pop were not incompatible genres despite the fact that they may seem to be at first glance. What often pushes mainstream audiences away from punk music is the grating vocals and lack of catchy melodies, while indie audiences turn their noses up at pop acts – leading to the idea that you have to be either one or the other. But what the Jesus and Mary Chain clearly proves with Psychocandy is that you don’t; it is indeed possible to do both and reach members of both audiences. And where their legacy lies is not just in the success of their own career and specifically their debut album, but in paving the way for the shoegaze genre and a lot of the bands yet to come – eventually peaking with My Bloody Valentine’s all-time classic, Loveless. And while it might be tempting to label the Jesus and Mary Chain as the guitar-based antidote to 80s pop music run amok – their significance actually comes as a supplement that would not try to completely eliminate it, but make it better instead.