swim school share ‘anyway’: the latest instalment from their debut EP ‘making sense of it all’
Edinburgh’s new kids on the block tease their debut EP with the angsty third offering
Photo: Rory Barnes
Seemingly making waves is Edinburgh’s indie rock band swim school, debuting their new single anyway, ahead of the upcoming debut EP ‘making sense of it all’. The lyrical piece describes helplessness and despair, tackling the social stigma of struggling with your emotions. Notably, their musical inspirations come from bands such as Wolf Alice and Slowdive — something that’s not hard to hear.
Despite having to cancel gigs and postpone recordings thanks to the lockdown, in recent months they’ve released two singles from the EP; outside and let me inside your head. swim school is flourishing this year following their third offering.
If there ever was a moment in your life where you felt utterly lonely that you couldn’t comprehend your current state of mind, anyway is that track that will resonate with you. The raw vulnerability in the lyricism is very personal and direct: “This Feeling is taking a toll on me / There is no way out how can you not see / That I am drifting away, every day”. Lead vocalist Alice Johnson’s dreamy euphonious vocals complement the guitarist’s high energy riff and fiery drumming.
The chorus fades into a guitar solo, suddenly jolted into a powerful instrumental melody; “I’m lost, you never notice anyway,” Johnson’s angsty voice pours into the emotional lyrics. The song itself correlates with their last two singles, covering the topic of depression and letting go of toxic people.
swim school are undoubtedly making their way into the indie scene and will continue to do so once their debut EP has been released next month.
Their musical style is modern-day indie rock, with a 90’s contemporary sound and dream-pop melody. All their hard work, bountiful single releases, and ambition have massively paid off.
Summer festivals are thankfully kicking off this year; swim school will be part of the Latitude Festival and Summer Nights line-up.
swim school’s debut EP ‘making sense of it all’ will be released on 13th August.