Cigarettes After Sex

Cigarettes After Sex is an American dream pop group from El Paso, United States, formed in 2008 by Greg Gonzalez. The band is active from 2008 to the present and consists of Greg Gonzalez, Randy Miller, Jacob Tomsky and Phillip Tubbs. It is associated with ambient, ambient pop, dream pop, indie pop, indie rock and pop, and is also linked with shoegaze, slowcore, lo-fi and indie.

Style and themes

The group is known for a soft, atmospheric sound and for songs centred on love and romance. Gonzalez’s voice is often described as androgynous, and the band’s music is frequently placed within dream pop and ambient pop, with further connections to shoegaze, slowcore and indie rock.

Early releases and breakthrough

The band’s first extended play, I., appears in 2012. Gonzalez records it in a stairwell at the University of Texas at El Paso. One of its best-known tracks, “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby,” later gains attention through commercial licensing.

After the standalone single “Affection” in 2015, the band releases a cover of REO Speedwagon’s “Keep On Loving You” the same year. By this point Gonzalez has relocated to Brooklyn, New York.

Albums and later releases

Cigarettes After Sex releases its self-titled debut studio album in 2017, followed by Cry in 2019. From the first album, “Apocalypse” becomes a sleeper hit and later reaches a very large streaming audience, helped by use in TikTok trends. Gonzalez writes and produces the song.

The band continues with a series of singles including “Heavenly,” “You’re All I Want,” “Pistol,” “Bubblegum,” “Stop Waiting,” and a cover of Radiohead’s “Motion Picture Soundtrack.” Its third album, X’s, is released in 2024. Lead single “Tejano Blue” is inspired by Gonzalez’s upbringing, and further singles from the album include “Dark Vacay” and “Baby Blue Movie.”

Recognition and live activity

The band gains international recognition through YouTube recommendations and goes on to perform across Europe, Asia and the United States. Its name is noted for being memorable and is inspired by a personal experience.