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)
Si Si Me Voy
Swim Deep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si Si Me Voy
Si Si Veleti
Si Si Veleti
Este feliz
Este feliz
And now that I'm here, carry me home
And now that am home, carry me here
A finis a nano la, es mal fuspre
Sí sí me voy, sí sí me voy
I'm freer than alley bird, out the cage to see
Si se veleti, si se veleti
I've got a alley bird path
Este feliz, este feliz
And now that am here, carry me home
And now that I'm home, carry me here
Now that am here
Just to me I feel the car start
That chick across the bubbling wall
It must myself in somewhere louder
My little heels don't feel no pain
I might just have, and the water has
But no one had, tried them all
Sad and I laughed, but I let my heart meet
And the absence and the close spots, really got to me
So I called in and I flew in, and they welcomed me
Hey Johnny, now I've got here, or what else to see
Oh I can breathe, Oh I can dance
But I don't have anywhere to rent
The lyrics of Swim Deep's song "Si Si Me Voy" are a mix of Spanish and English, creating a sense of cultural blending. The recurring lines "Si Si Me Voy" and "Si Si Veleti" mean "Yes Yes I'm going" and "Yes Yes let's go" respectively, embodying a sense of liberation and freedom. The singer expresses joy and happiness, stating "Este feliz" which means "I am happy". They want to be carried between different places, expressing the need to experience new things and have adventures.
There are also emotional themes in the song, such as the line "Sad and I laughed, but I let my heart meet", suggesting a sense of longing and nostalgia. The recurring idea of an "alley bird" and being "freer than alley bird, out the cage to see" creates a sense of breaking free from societal constraints and norms.
The song blends different genres of music, such as indie pop and tropical rhythms, creating a unique sound. The use of Spanish in the song reflects Swim Deep's interest in world music and cultures. The song was released in 2016 as a single, and it has been praised for its catchy beat and meaningful lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Si Si Me Voy
Yes, yes, I am leaving
Si Si Me Voy
Yes, yes, I am leaving
Si Si Veleti
Yes, yes, I am flying away
Si Si Veleti
Yes, yes, I am flying away
Este feliz
I am happy
Este feliz
I am happy
And now that I'm here, carry me home
I want to go back to where I came from
And now that am home, carry me here
I want to come back to where I am now
And now that am home, carry me here
I want to come back to where I am now
A finis a nano la, es mal fuspre
The end is near, it's a bad forecast
Sí sí me voy, sí sí me voy
Yes, yes, I am leaving
I'm freer than alley bird, out the cage to see
I feel free like a bird flying out of a cage
Si se veleti, si se veleti
Yes, I am flying away
I've got a alley bird path
I have a path just like a bird would have
Este feliz, este feliz
I am happy
And now that am here, carry me home
I want to go back to where I came from
And now that I'm home, carry me here
I want to come back to where I am now
Now that am here
Now that I'm here
Just to me I feel the car start
I feel the car starting just for me
That chick across the bubbling wall
The girl on the other side of the wall
It must myself in somewhere louder
I must find myself in a louder place
My little heels don't feel no pain
My feet don't hurt anymore
I might just have, and the water has
I might have something, just like the water does
But no one had, tried them all
But nobody has tried them all
Sad and I laughed, but I let my heart meet
I felt sad and happy, but I followed my heart
And the absence and the close spots, really got to me
The absences and the small spaces affected me deeply
So I called in and I flew in, and they welcomed me
So I called and I flew back, and they welcomed me
Hey Johnny, now I've got here, or what else to see
Hey Johnny, now that I'm here, what else is there to see?
Oh I can breathe, Oh I can dance
Oh, I can finally breathe and dance
But I don't have anywhere to rent
But I don't have anywhere to live
Contributed by Liliana H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.