5 Things to Know About Mazzy Star and the Paisley Underground

Mazzy Star formed from the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles. This 1980s movement blended psychedelic rock with folk and jangle pop.

The band’s core members, Hope Sandoval and David Roback, met through this scene. Roback previously played in the Paisley Underground band Opal.

The Paisley Underground influenced Mazzy Star’s dreamy, hazy sound. Their music carries the scene’s psychedelic guitar work and reverb-heavy vocals.

Mazzy Star’s biggest hit, “Fade Into You,” reflects this heritage. Its slow, hypnotic melody is a direct descendant of the Paisley Underground’s style.

The scene faded by the early 1990s, but Mazzy Star outlasted it. Their sound became more minimalist and folk-oriented than their Paisley peers.