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Swim Deep return with ‘To My Brother’ single, new UK dates

“I feel like we’re all shaving our heads and going to war with this record,” says frontman Austin Williams.

9th February 2015

Birmingham’s Swim Deep have unveiled the first taste of their new, second album - the colossal single ‘To My Brother’.

Following on from 2013 debut ‘Where the Heaven Are We’, the band have recruited fifth member James Balmont (keyboards) and in turn, they’ve arrived with a sound ten times the size of the previous LP.

Having gained its first play on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show, ‘To My Brother’ surges forward with nods to Hacienda-era Manchester and a bonkers, psychedelic streak barely evident in LP1.

Speaking about the new album, frontman Austin Williams told DIY: “I feel like we’re all shaving our heads and going to war with this record,” addressing the dramatic new direction. Read the full interview below the player.

Alongside the new track, Swim Deep will play the following dates:

MARCH
31 Manchester, Deaf Institute

APRIL
01 London, Electrowerkz
02 Birmingham, Oobleck
03 Glasgow, King Tuts

‘To My Brother’ is out via Chess Club / RCA. Order on iTunes and listen below.

This is a dramatic change. You sound like a different band, at points.

There was never a conscious side of me that was telling myself that I needed to change or do anything different. We had great fun. The first songs I ever wrote in a band capacity were on ‘Where The Heaven Are We’. There was never a need to change - I just wanted to. There was a lot more influence coming in from other places; the 80s, bigger beats and a lot more depth in what I wanted to put out as a band. I’m excited. I’m really excited to show the new stuff. I feel like we’re all shaving our heads and going to war with this record.

You’re making a statement on this. Do you feel like you’re taking big steps in directions people might not expect?

Hopefully. There’s an ambition to radicalise the charts, in a way. I’ve always had an interest in pop music, whether it be a hatred for it or a love for it. There’s a lot of pop songwriting on there, just because it’s natural for me when I’m writing a melody. The music I’m listening to influences me, in a way. There’s songs on the record that have come at the peak of me listening to 60 Aretha Franklin songs on loop, for three days. There’s a bit of a nod to that. It feels a lot more connected, with me.

Did you all find yourselves on the same page, going into the studio knowing where this would go?

It was development. I had ideas in my head from songs I’ve written and James, our new keyboardist - he gave us a change in dynamic. He writes music very frequently. Me and him were writing a lot more. And he adds the songs something, a soundtrack; it feels more in-depth, harmonised. It was good improv from him. We talked about it in the studio - I didn’t want to know what was going to come out until we got there. We had two weeks before Christmas, two weeks after. Which was nice, having that as a break. Perfect, just to be able to connect back with reality. You got an insight into how the record would sound when you got that break, the bits that would need balancing out.

Is there a sense of ‘To My Brother’ relating to previous eras?

There’s not an ounce of revivalist in us. We’re not trying to revive anything, but we believe that every year could be the Summer of Love. It’s not about bringing something back, it’s about broadening your imaginations. If my imagination was infinite, you wouldn’t have to speak. You’d just see it - it’d just fly. I’m trying to push something in my mind, but I’m not sure what it is yet. The record’s about creating something that we push. I think people need to concentrate on being a lot more open-minded and peaceful. Maybe it’s not time for a selfish summer just yet.

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