If you’re a twenty-something indie fan who spent your teens in Dr. Martens, stripy long sleeves and doused in glitter, it’s most likely you’re a fan of Swim Deep. The outfit, hailing from Birmingham, first made a name for themselves with their 2013 debut Where the Heaven Are We, a sunkissed record that spoke of falling in love at the beach, swooning over girls in bands and coming of age all whilst in a bit of a daze. Following this came 2015’s Mothers, their pop-y sound now equipped with an experimental bent. The record’s mixed success led to a rough patch for Swim Deep – members left and the band eventually split from Sony Records. It took till 2019 for Swim Deep to bounce back, with the release of their third album, Emerald Classics, lauded by critics as their most cohesive and sonically progressive outing yet.
Lodge a two-year global pandemic into the equation and the fivesome are finally back, this time with a collaborative EP. Dubbed Familiarise Yourself With Your Closest Exit, the five-tracker features Hatchie, Phoebe Green, Nell and Dept. “The concept was born out of a lifelong dream to write pop songs for massive artists,” says Austin Williams, Swim Deep’s lead singer. “I’ve always backed myself to write a no.1, but sometimes the songs I write don’t exactly suit Swim Deep or what I’d like to put out there. Sometimes the melodies I write are meant for more feminine vocals, or just generally a really good singer. So I set out writing with that in mind, and then some of them ended up working so well as Swim Deep songs, that featured artists we loved.”
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