Hailing from Birmingham, Swim Deep is comprised of frontman Austin Williams, Cavin McCarthy on bass, Robbie Wood on guitar, James Balmont on keyboards and Thomas Fiquet on drums. With four studio albums, ‘Where the Heavens Are We’ (2013), ‘Mothers’ (2015), ‘Emerald Classics’ (2019) and most recently ‘There’s A Big Star Outside’ (2024), Swim Deep have experimented sonically within indie-pop throughout the years before settling on an artistry which is ethereally mature and thought-provoking.

Their latest album ‘There’s A Big Star Outside’ proves just that, featuring contributions from Bill Ryder-Jones, who produced the album and allowed Swim Deep to portray their most personal selves to listeners. When speaking with Dork, frontman Austin Williams recalled the experience of working with Ryder-Jones, stating: “It felt like we were all playing and gelling together, and we all had this shared vision. Bill Ryder-Jones was a massive, massive part of that. He brought out the best in us, in every single member. I don’t think anyone has felt they’ve been as good as a musician as they were recording that album”.

Ryder-Jone’s production contributions have been paramount to the sonic development of Swim Deep during this latest album. So much so, that Ryder-Jones features on their latest single ‘Hard To Come Back’ and will be present during their two intimate shows next year.

The single ‘Hard To Come Back’ is rightfully tender, showcasing dreamy instrumentation alongside a delicate vocal from Williams. The track exhibits a hint of hopefulness, but also a realism of the necessity to confront an emotion, experience or situation. Williams revealed in the single’s press release that: “‘Hard To Come Back’ came about during a turning point, full of grey clouds and a peeping light”, from accompanying a friend to their first AA meeting and supporting them head-on, after almost losing a friend to addiction in his early 20s. To which, Williams’ perspective in the track showcases the tendency for individuals to typically and “naïve[ly] prance around the truth of that experience”.

The ‘How Many Love Songs Have Died In Vegas?’ band are utilising their ethereal tracks embedded with personal themes of love and longing to create an intimate sonic space between themselves and their listeners. This will continue in their two upcoming shows: ‘An Evening With Swim Deep’, featuring Bill Ryder-Jones. The first show will take place March 6 at Night & Day in Manchester and the other on March 7 at St Pancras Old Church in London. Both shows have a capacity of less than 500, attendees will be given a close and personal experience with Swim Deep as they delve into their most personal and thought-provoking tracks within atmospheric venues. Tickets to the intimate shows can be found here.

☆ ≈ Gleaming with excitement and pride to announce our fourth album ‘There’s a Big Star Outside’ will be out 07/06/24 ≈ ☆
The first single ‘How Many Love Songs Have Died In Vegas?’ Is out now
Please pre order the album (link in bio), where you get early access to tickets pic.twitter.com/z2s91JUlO8

— SWIM DEEP ≈ (@SWIM_DEEP) February 21, 2024

In a press release, frontman Austin Wiliams explains the backstory behind the lead single: “‘How Many Love Songs In Vegas?’ is a song that’s been stitched together over a few years, a great melody made in a shed (like all the good ones are) that never found its song. Until Swim Deep’s Lord saviour Bill Ryder Jones insisted we persist with it as it was ‘dead good’. We tried everything, and even after going full Flaming Lips at the Wacky Warehouse on it, still, nothing felt perfect… until we sat back, drank some gin and listened to Yo La Tengo & Red House Painters. And suddenly it clicked, Bill saw the light and I followed him like I would off a cliff.”

He adds: “A song I wrote after pondering whether marriage was ill fated, and statistically doomed, just like my parents and all my friend’s parents’ ones seemed to turn out. An anxiety laced love song in which I deny all of those odds stacked against me and my wife, the best person ever.”

Alongside the new single and album announcement, Swim Deep have also unveiled a string of live shows across the UK. The group are set to hit the road for an 11-date tour, including performances in Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle and London. You can take a look at the full tracklist of the album below:

1. How Many Love Songs Have Died In Vegas?
2. Very Heaven
3. These Words
4. Robin
5. Don’t Make Me a Stranger
6. First Song
7. Big Star
8. It’s Just Sun In Your Eyes
9. So Long, So Far (Marble-Bellied Baby)
10. Fire Surrounds

Listen to “King City (Jennylee’s Version)” below:

The band shared on Instagram that the cover art for the single, featuring Williams sitting in his bedroom with a clipping of Lindberg behind him, was taken during the “King City” music video shoot. Williams explained, “Plastered on my wall among other heroes of mine was a cut out of Jenny from the beat magazine i pined over, i had artists i’d look up to, and places i’d like to visit on that wall. talismans to dream next to.”

He nostalgically reminisced, “The song was about fleeing the small towns and cities i was raised in, yet keeping love and admiration for the precious youth i spent there. It was a cocky teenage coming of age anthem with a 4/4 beat which i stole from mgmt kids.”

Williams joked that he “half expected a cease and desist” when Jenny reached out to the band all these years later “but instead we got the best remix i’ve ever heard, the baseline is everything, it’s dark and sexy and i can imagine running through a festival with my mates at 17 years old to it”.

Lindberg also took to Instagram to share her excitement over the collab writing, “i love you guys! my heart feels warm and cozy. and i was super stoked to spin the wheel, and MAKE IT DARKER”.

Past and present members of Swim Deep reunited to tell tales of times past and spin records over some pints for Boogaloo radio on the 27^th April. Fans got the chance to sit in during the show held in Highgate courtesy of Dork magazine.

Swim Deep are set to embark on a tour that will take them across the UK from the end of May until mid-June. The tour is in celebration of the 10^th anniversary of their debut album Where The Heaven Are We – an essential for British indie kids of the 2010s. The band will be supported by a host of artists including fellow Brum-based indie rockers Jaws, former Palma Violets member Chilli Jesson, London-based trio Sad Boys Club, indie newcomers Overpass, and Irish singer/songwriter Paulric O’Meara. For remaining tickets and more information see here.

In May last year, the Californian neo-psychedelic band Warpaint, which first united on Valentine’s Day all the way back in 2004, released their fourth studio album Radiate Like This. The album was preceded by the singles “Stevie” and “Champion”. Lindberg also released her second solo album in the same month under the name jennylee. The album entitled Heart Tax included a cover of the Fugazi’s “I’m So Tired” originally recorded for Record Store Day in 2020.

See below for Swim Deep’s UK tour dates:

24/05/23 – Limelight 2 – Belfast
25/05 – Grand Social – Dublin
30/05 – Club Ifor Bach – Cardiff
31/05 – The Waterfront – Norwich
01/06 – Rescue Rooms – Nottingham
02/06 – Thekla – Bristol
04/06 – The Wardrobe – Leeds
05/06 – King Tuts Wah Wah Hut – Glasgow
06/06 – Academy 3 – Manchester
07/06 – The Haunt – Brighton
08/06 – Scala – London
09/06 – O2 Institute 2 – Birmingham