I have long been transparent about my love of shoegaze. It’s a comforting genre for me. The fuzz and big wall of sound just feels right in my head and heart. These days, the kids are getting into what is endearingly referred to as “Zoomergaze.”
So what is that? It’s sort of exactly what it sounds like… Generation Z, or Zoomer, shoegaze music. Pretty straightforward, honestly. But the nuance is fascinating. See, this era of shoegaze is not just inspired by the same sounds as its predecessors. It’s also deeply inspired by those same bands, the ones that were influenced by the groundbreaking bands of the 1980s and 90s.
It comes with the courage of those cornerstone sounds forged three and four decades ago, as well as the gumption and passion of bands from just one or two decades ago. But enough of descriptions, let’s talk about some of the bands that are making good on their genre.
Trxy!
Trxy! is almost the very definition of “zoomergaze.” Taking shoegaze and then blending in elements of grunge, alt, and pop, Trixy! perfectly embodies what modern shoegaze is, and where the new generation of artists is taking it.
Trxy! just dropped their brand new album, Drowning in Bliss, literally today (Friday, February 27, 2026). And I swear to god it’s just a wild coincidence that I’m publishing this the same day.
The record is a commiseratingly alluring expression of art done through fuzzy riffs, clobbering drums, and florid melodies. You can hear the new single, “Rot”, above, and you should follow that up by streaming the entire project.
Glare
“Everything’s bigger in Texas,” apparently also means the fuzz emanating from a guitar amp. This is thanks to Glare, a Lower Rio Grande Valley grungegaze band that has been hum-shredding for over a decade now.
If you like your gaze with a side of 90s alt-rock guitar, then look no further. This is the exact formula you crave.
Glares’ debut LP, Sunset Funeral, dropped in 2025. Definitely queue it up.
Wisp
Wisp is kind of the best of what made bands like Slowdive and Cocteau Twins so special. There’s an honest, feminine vulnerability to her music. But, you’d be remiss to mistake it for fragility, because behind it lies profound strength and confidence.
Hailing from California’s Bay Area, Wisp has been crafting gorgeous gazy music for just a few years. In 2025, she dropped her debut album, If Not Winter, and it’s a great place to start learning more about this nu generation of shoegazers.
Scarlet House
I don’t know that there’s anything I can say about Scarlet House that I haven’t already said here and here. Honestly, I can sum up my opinion on this one-man shoegaze savant by quoting myself: “Scarlet House is the future of shoegaze.”
Scarlet House is the beautiful brainchild of 25-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native Kameron Odums. In 2024, he released a project titled Homecoming, and it is some of the strongest evidence for what the future of gaze music holds.
I cannot encourage you enough… do. not. sleep. on Scarlet House.
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