Who Is Avenelle? The Dreamy Shoegaze Project That's in 'No Rush'

If your ideal song sounds like floating, Avenelle might be your new favorite find. The dreampop and shoegaze project released "No Rush" in 2024, and by the band's own description, its music is built for headphones and a slow evening.

Who Is Avenelle?

According to the project's Spotify biography, Avenelle is led by guitarist and songwriter Benedikt Behrendt and vocalist Farrah Monste. Audio engineer Brian K. Fisher rounds out the team, adding what the bio calls the final depth to their atmospheric wall of sound.

Avenelle describes its own sound in three phrases: lush melodies, layered guitars and ethereal vocal harmonies. The stated goal is to deliver dreamy, introspective and chill moods.

Dreampop vs. Shoegaze: A Quick Lesson

Avenelle blends two closely related genres, and they're worth knowing.

• Dreampop grew out of the 1980s and focuses on atmosphere: soft, airy vocals, shimmering guitars and lots of reverb. Cocteau Twins and Beach House are classic reference points.
• Shoegaze came up in the UK around the late '80s and early '90s. It's louder and denser, with layers of distorted, effects-heavy guitar that wash over the vocals. The name comes from guitarists staring down at their effects pedals onstage. My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive are the genre's best-known names.

Put them together and you get Avenelle's formula: the gentle mood of dreampop with the layered guitar wall of shoegaze.

About "No Rush"

"No Rush" was released on October 18, 2024, and runs four and a half minutes. The title fits the project's stated aim of chill, introspective moods.

Avenelle is very much an emerging act. At the time of writing, "No Rush" has a little over 1,400 plays on Spotify. That makes it a true deep cut, the kind of song you can say you found before everyone else did. Spotify credits the release to 7974011 Records DK.

How to Listen to Shoegaze

Here's a pro tip for getting the most out of this kind of music: use good headphones and turn it up a little. Shoegaze and dreampop are built in layers, with guitars, effects and vocal harmonies stacked on top of each other. On a phone speaker, those layers blur together. On headphones, you can pick out the individual parts and hear the space the producers build around them. With an audio engineer credited as part of Avenelle's core team, that sense of depth is clearly a priority.

Who Will Love Avenelle?

If you already stream Slowdive, Beach House or Cocteau Twins, Avenelle's described sound puts it in that same family. It's the kind of music made for late-night drives, rainy afternoons and anyone who prefers texture over volume.

Where to Listen

Stream "No Rush" on Avenelle's Spotify page.

Sources

Spotify — "Avenelle" artist biography