Gemma Cockrell had a chat with the latest dream pop band on the scene, Night Swimming, ahead of the release of their debut double single Freight Train // A Wall on August 12th.
How did the band meet and form?
We all met while studying at Bath Spa University. Meg and Jesse were actually in a previous band together. When the band split, they started a new project; as they had always felt a strong musical connection with each other. Sam joined first, followed by Torin and Josh.
How would you describe the band’s sound?
We would describe our sound as dream pop with subtle shoegaze and trip-hop influences.
If you were to name a few bands or artists who inspired your sound, who would they be, and how have they inspired you?
We’re inspired by bands such as Radiohead, Beach House and London Grammar. We like music that is atmospheric and hypnotic to listen to. We love the cinematic nature of these bands and how their music is able to conjure stark images in your head. We’re also influenced by the trip-hop rhythms of local bands, Portishead and Massive Attack, and try to incorporate this into our sound.
Could you tell the story behind your two new tracks, Freight Train and A Wall?
A Wall was one of the first songs we wrote together that signalled the musical direction we wanted to take. Freight Train was written as an introductory piece, which soon became its own song; and it felt natural to pair them together as a double single. We feel that Freight Train conveys a strong sense of detachment which seeps into A Wall. Our singer, Meg, describes A Wall as being “a collection of memories and images about communication in relationships.”
You were scouted by the Close Encounters Club to be featured in Glastonbury Festival’s 2022 ‘Longlist’ - how did you feel when you found out this exciting news?
It is a huge dream of ours to play at Glastonbury Festival, so to be nominated for their annual longlist was really exciting. We actually found out the weekend that we were recording Freight Train // A Wall.
You have had the opportunity to play sold-out headline shows in your hometown of Bath - what has it been like being able to perform live, despite having not released any music yet?
We feel that playing our songs live, before taking them to the studio, has helped us to develop our sound and experiment. We love playing live shows and have found them really valuable in preparing us better for recording.
You have also had support slots for an array of artists including Sad Night Dynamite and China Bears - do any of these experiences or shows stand out to you in particular?
Both gigs were amazing opportunities for us. It was especially fun supporting Sad Night Dynamite, since they had such an intricate and professional set-up, with really unique instrumentation. They also brought a musically diverse audience which was exciting to play for.
If you could choose any artist to support on tour, who would it be and why?
We would love to support Wolf Alice. We’ve been fans of their music for a long time, and we went to their Bristol show together - back in January. ‘Blue Weekend’ is a really inspiring record for us and we often listen to it on the way to gigs.
What’s next for the band once the double single is released on August 12th?
We’re going on our first UK tour; which is exciting as we get to visit some new places and play alongside some great bands. We’re also about to start pre-production for our next double single release
Gemma Cockrell
Edited by: Roxann Yus
In-article and cover images courtesy of Night Swimming via Facebook.
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