U.K. trio deary mix blurry dissonance with sweetness on romantic songs suggestive of their name. Their self-titled debut EP appeared on devoted shoegaze label Sonic Cathedral in 2023. They left the harsher timbres behind on the echo-drenched follow-up, 2024's Aurelia EP. After inking a deal with Bella Union, their debut album, 2026's Birding, settled into a more consistent, shimmery blend of shoegaze, dream pop, and trip-hop.

deary London-based singer and guitarist Rebecca "Dottie" Cockram formed deary with multi-instrumentalist Ben Easton during COVID-19 shutdowns, when they bonded over commonalities like a love of Cocteau Twins vocalist Elizabeth Fraser. After sharing ideas online, they began writing songs together, and they soon started collaborating in person. Their second-ever live show was at label Sonic Cathedral's 18th birthday celebration in 2022. With its ethereal wash of shimmer, airy vocals, and breakbeat, deary's self-produced debut single, "Fairground," appeared on Sonic Cathedral in early 2023, with a remix by Saint Etienne and Augustin Bousfield following a few weeks later. That November, the song was included on the band's Easton-produced debut EP, deary, alongside tracks spanning dissonant shoegaze and dreamy, quasi-acoustic fare.

They buffed down the more jagged textures of their debut for the hazy, echoey follow-up, which featured production by Iggy B (Spiritualized, Penelope Isles) and drumming by Slowdive's Simon Scott. Offering six new songs (and an extra three on the CD format), Aurelia appeared on Sonic Cathedral in November 2024. The following year saw them issue their final single for the label, the double A-side I Still Think About You/No Ordinary Love. They then signed with Bella Union. After bringing in drummer Harry Catchpole to round out the lineup, deary set about recording their self-produced debut full-length. The resulting Birding distilled their mix of shoegaze and dream pop, along with less pronounced trip-hop influences. It arrived on Bella Union in April 2026.