The Jesus and Mary Chain emerged from East Kilbride, Scotland in the early 1980s, founded by brothers Jim and William Reid. Their debut album Psychocandy (1985) became a landmark in alternative music, fusing abrasive feedback and distortion with melodic pop structures reminiscent of The Beach Boys and The Velvet Underground. With tracks like Just Like Honey, they pioneered a sound that would heavily influence the shoegaze and noise pop movements. Their early live shows were notoriously chaotic—short, loud, and confrontational—earning them a reputation as provocateurs in the UK indie scene. Over the years, their style evolved from raw noise to more polished, introspective songwriting, as heard in albums like Darklands and Stoned & Dethroned.
