In 2008, Greg Gonzalez founded the American fantasy pop group Cigarettes After Sex in El Paso, Texas. Gonzalez’s voice, which has been referred to as “androgynous,” the band’s ethereal, limerent, and frequently dream-like musical style, and lyrics frequently themed on themes of romance and love are all things that make them well-known. Cigarettes After Sex, who are promoted as an ambient pop band, are also regarded as shoegaze, slowcore, and indie rock musicians. The song “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” subsequently became a sleeper hit through commercial licensing and was included on the band’s 2012 extended play (EP), I. The band released their self-titled debut studio album in June 2017 to favorable reviews following the release of the stand-alone single “Affection” in 2015. Cry, the group’s second studio effort was released on October 25, 2019.
Cigarettes After Sex is described as “elemental, foggy and dreamy, but with a noir edge below Gonzalez’s androgynous voice” and “sweet and sentimental” by Christina Cacouris in a Noisey by Vice feature. Gonzalez identifies Françoise Hardy as his favorite singer and Miles Davis as having a significant influence. “As the band’s name suggests, it’s reminiscent of lying in bed, yet its ambient elements don’t preclude it from becoming music you can dance to,” Gonzalez says. He also mentioned that movies like L’Avventura and The Double Life of Veronique had an impact on the mood and sound of the music on “Affection” and their album in an interview with Sound of Boston.
The Cowboy Junkies’ album The Trinity Session, Julee Cruise, and Cocteau Twins are also inspirations for the band. The band is compared to Mazzy Star by the music blog Eardrums Music and described as “slow, dreamy, and beautiful with gorgeous, delicate vocals and extremely good lyrics.” Cigarettes After Sex is a band that, according to the music bloggers behind Swell Tone, produces “melancholy, languid pop that will pleasantly rock any listener into a listless slumber.” Jae Pyl writes in her review of “Affection” for Independentmusicnews.com that Cigarettes After Sex’s music has “simply such an intimacy that it’s impossible to not let it into the pit of your belly.”
