Following a breakout year defined by the success of their sophomore EP ‘Quiet Pleasures’, Phoenix shoegaze quartet Glixen returns with their most immersive work to date, “Medicine Bow.” Released via Wichita Recordings and AWAL, the track serves as a sonic bridge between the band’s signature melodic sweetness and a newfound sense of slow-burning decay. Frontwoman Aislinn Ritchie describes the single as a reflection of the “internal ache to hold on while letting go,” where walls of heavy distortion bloom around her wraithlike vocals. Recorded during a prolific stretch of growth for the band, “Medicine Bow” leans into the “hard-hitting sound” the group has been honing since their early DIY days in the Arizona scene. With hypnotic guitars that melt and unmeld in a blurred fever dream, the release cements Glixen’s position at the forefront of the modern shoegaze renaissance, following high-profile appearances at Coachella and Reading & Leeds.
The new single marks the beginning of a relentless 2026 schedule for the band, which includes a co-headlining North American tour with Glare and upcoming slots at major international events like the Outbreak Festival in Manchester. Consisting of Ritchie, guitarist Esteban Santana, bassist Sonia Garcia, and drummer Keire Johnson, Glixen has evolved from local roommates to a touring force capable of supporting industry titans like Interpol and DIIV. By enlisting heavy-hitting producers like Sonny DiPerri—known for his work with My Bloody Valentine—the band continues to refine a sound that is as much an “it-girl stoicness” as it is a high-decibel wall of fuzzed-out mud. As they navigate the “emotional push and pull” of their rising stardom, “Medicine Bow” stands as a raw and immediate testament to an artist community that refuses to be put in a box.