The band began to record in Brussels in the last few months of 2012 of what would soon be their debut album. During their career, they have released five singles which have received critical acclaim. They released their debut album Where the Heaven Are We on August 5, 2013. It was originally meant to be on 29 July, but it was moved to a later date for unknown reasons.
Their music has been described as "Beach grunge". the band often get mentioned in the same sentence as fellow Birmingham bands Peace and Troumaca who also make slacker beach rock.
Swim Deep formed in 2010 with Austin Williams, Tom 'Higgy' Higgins and Wolfgang J Harte. The band went through multiple drummers until they eventually recruited Austin's best friend Zachary Robinson on drums who, at the time, was playing in a band called Cajole Cajole. On the subject, Austin said, “We thought it was a long shot but we’d just lost another drummer so we asked Zach if he wanted to join our band and he said yeah. That was one of the best things that happened, to be honest.” After a few months, Harte announced that he was leaving the band and the band played as a three piece until they recruited Cavan McCarthy, the merchandise seller from fellow Birmingham band, Peace. The band put some demos up on Soundcloud, "Isla Vista" and "Santa Maria", in 2011.
In 2012, Swim Deep signed with Chess Club and released their debut single, "King City", in May 2012. After a UK tour with Spector in November/December 2012, the band went to Brussels to record their debut album with producer Charlie Hugall. They released their second single, "Honey", in November which got them well critical acclaim and is usually associated with the band. NME magazine said that "the best bits of the Birmingham mob’s latest cut have the pull of a star-spangled whirlpool that’ll suck you back into the late ’80s."
2010-2012: Formation and record deal
They have played shows with Splashh, Spector, Citizens! and the Mystery Jets. The band also accompanied Two Door Cinema Club on their February 2013 UK tour, alongside Bastille. In February 2013, a video was released for their next single "The Sea". The single was released the month after on 7" vinyl and download, backed with a cover of "Down by the Seaside". In May 2013 they released their fourth single "She Changes the Weather", along with an EP of the same name.
2013-2014: Where the Heaven Are We
In early May, Swim Deep put the pre-order links up on their official store. Where the Heaven Are We is due to be released in August, 2013, on 12" vinyl, CD and digital download. Limited edition signed vinyl are also to be released featuring a 7" of two early demos. A Japan only EP was released in May titled Sun on My Back made up of early demos, B-sides and "King City". In June, the band released a new video for the re-release of "King City". The single is due for release in July. In July 2013 it was revealed that the deluxe edition of Where the Heaven Are We would feature a bonus track "Crush".
2014-2017: Mothers
Following tours throughout 2013 to support their debut album, the band began recording their second album in London in September 2014. In December, they returned to Brussels to continue their progress. They finished recording in January 2015. They released "To My Brother", the first single from the second record, in February. "To My Brother" was noted by critics for its marked change in direction, with many picking up on the unexpected influence of acid house music. Speaking to DIY Magazine, Austin addressed the band's dramatic new direction: "I feel like we’re all shaving our heads and going to war with this record." The second single from the album, "One Great Song and I Could Change the World", was released in April 2015.
In June 2015, the band announced Mothers, their sophomore album, would be released 19 September. The album release was later delayed until 2 October. Mothers, heavily influenced by acid house and techno, received positive reviews from critics, with a Metacritic score of 79. NME's Rhian Daly described "Namaste" as "a great big bolt of pop that’s impossible to ignore".DIY Magazine's Stephen Ackroyd said that "Fueiho Boogie" "explodes time and time again into increasingly more ridiculous krautrock techno extravaganzas." In December 2015, Swim Deep toured North America with The 1975.
2018-: Untitled third album
Swim Deep confirmed they were recording their third album in July 2018. The band confirmed the departures of long-serving members Zachary Robinson and Tom Higgins in a statement. Captioning a photograph of a new-look Swim Deep on the beach, they said: “We’re off to a studio by the sea to finally finish the album we’ve been dreaming of our whole lives and we’re so ready to share it with you.”
Members:
Austin "Ozzy" Williams - vocals, guitar, keys, percussion (2010–present)
Cavan "Cav" McCarthy - bass guitar, backing vocals (2012–present)
James Balmont - keys, percussion, guitar, backing vocals (2013–present)
Robbie Wood - guitar, backing vocals (2017-present)
Past members:
James "Wolfgang" Harte - bass guitar, backing vocals (2010-2012)
Johnny Aries - live keys and live percussion (2013)
Tom "Higgy Pop" Higgins - guitar, backing vocals (2010–2018)
Zachary "Zach" Robinson - drums, percussion, backing vocals (2011–2018)
Down By The Seaside
Swim Deep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can the people hear what the little fish are saying?
The people turned away
The people turned away
Out in the city streets, see all the cars go racing, racing
There's no time left to pass the time of the day
The people turned away
The people turned away
So far away
So far
So far away
Do you still do the twist?
Do you find you remember things that well?
I wanna tell you, some go twisting every day
Though sometimes, it's awful hard to tell
Out in the country, see all the people growling talking bout their programs
knowing where they're going
Oh, the people turned away
The people turned away
Sing loud for the sunshine and pray hard for the rain
And sing your love for Lady Nature and she might come back again
"Down by the Seaside" by Swim Deep is a song about disconnection between people and nature. The first verse talks about boats sailing and the little fish speaking, but the people turning away and not listening. The second verse mentions the racing cars and the lack of time to pass the time of the day. Again, the people turn away. The repetition of this phrase seems to emphasize the apathy towards the natural world. The chorus then repeats "so far away" three times, possibly reflecting on how disconnected people are from nature.
The bridge of the song switches to a more personal level with the question, "Do you still do the twist?" This could be referencing the Twist dance craze from the 1960s and is reminiscent of a simpler time before technology and the fast-paced lifestyle that is emphasized in the second verse. The lyrics continue to reflect on the past with the line "Do you find you remember things that well?" suggesting a longing for simpler times. The final verse brings the focus back to the natural world, contrasting the city life with the country where people are talking about their programs and where they are going, but still turning away from nature.
The song ends with a call to love and appreciate nature, to sing for the sunshine and pray for rain, and to show love for Lady Nature in the hope that she might come back.
Overall, "Down by the Seaside" suggests a disconnect between humans and nature, with people turning away and focusing on technology and progress. The song encourages people to appreciate and love nature in order to reconnect with it and bring it back.
Line by Line Meaning
Down by the seaside, see all the boats go sailing?
Do you see the boats sailing in the sea?
Can the people hear what the little fish are saying?
Can people understand the voice of the fish in the sea?
The people turned away
People ignored the beauty of nature and turned away
Out in the city streets, see all the cars go racing, racing
Look at how the cars are crossing the city streets in a hurry
There's no time left to pass the time of the day
People are too busy to exchange greetings and have a conversation
So far away
Everything seems too far and distant
Do you still do the twist?
Do you still dance to old songs?
Do you find you remember things that well?
Do you think it's possible to remember everything with accuracy?
I wanna tell you, some go twisting everyday
I want to tell you that some people still dance happily every day
Though sometimes, it's awful hard to tell
It's difficult to know the happiness and sorrow behind someone's smile
Out in the country, see all the people growling talking bout their programs
In the countryside, people discuss and plan for their future and growth
knowing where they're going
They have clarity about their goals
Oh, the people turned away
People have turned away from their roots and traditions
Sing loud for the sunshine and pray hard for the rain
Celebrate the good times and pray hard during difficult times
And sing your love for Lady Nature and she might come back again
Show your love and respect for nature and it might heal and come back to life
Contributed by Jack H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jess m
beautiful song, helped get me through my a levels this year
Not Him
you guys deserve the world and so,so much love and appreciation
odinmp5
sounds great... loved it.
ash bedesha
Pure talent
Kaleb Murphy
Without the drums, this piece truly becomes a whole other song. So elegant.
Sakura Sh
Love it....!
cata Romero
I love this cover <3
Megan H
this is so amazing and chill. swim deep plz do more led zep
Year Zero Clan
I love these blues. (just guitar) '-'
Julian Fehling
pls could someone hand them a tuner