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Swim School
Swim School on stage in London, 2024
Background information
Origin	Edinburgh, Scotland
Genres	Indie rock indie pop
Years active	2018–present
Labels	LAB Records
Members	Alice Johnson Lewis Bunting Billy McMahon
Past members	Matt Mitchell Nairn Milne

Swim School (stylised in lowercase) are a Scottish indie rock band. Formed in late 2018 in Edinburgh, the band initially comprised Alice Johnson, Lewis Bunting, Matt Mitchell, and Nairn Milne; Mitchell and Milne later left the band, while Billy McMahon joined in June 2020. They have released the EPs Volume 1, Making Sense of It All, and Duality and the mixtape Seeing It Now and have supported Inhaler on their Cuts & Bruises tour. The band have frequently cited Wolf Alice and Slowdive as influences and their works are generally categorised as indie.

History

Swim School were formed in late 2018 in Edinburgh. Initially comprising Alice Johnson, Lewis Bunting, Matt Mitchell, and Nairn Milne, they released their debut single, "Sway", in February 2019. Their debut performance was in Galashiels, took place in March 2019, and was a support slot for Indigo Velvet, another Edinburgh-based band. In October 2020, Johnson stated that their set had been marred by a "40-something stranger" heckling sexist abuse at Johnson before and during the performance, prompting her to struggle to hold back tears while performing and to break down after leaving. They released their second single, "Take You There", the following June. Swim School spent around a year gigging until the COVID-19 lockdown caused the band to concentrate on writing. Indigo Velvet's guitarist Billy McMahon was invited to join the band in June 2020 after a period of him assisting with live streams.

The band released an EP, Volume 1, in 2021, and then the single "Let Me Inside Your Head" that March. By May, Milne had left the band. That month, they released the single "Outside", their first without Milne and performed a cover version of Taylor Swift's "Love Story" for a BBC live session. "Outside" was written about cutting toxic people out of their lives, while "Love Story" was added after the band decided to incorporate a cover into the set and rummaged through some Spotify playlists. The following month, they released "Anyway" and announced their second EP, Making Sense of It All, which comprised tracks about Johnson's mental state over lockdown and was released in August 2021.

After releasing Making Sense of It All, Swim School spent a period gigging. By June 2022, the band were signed to LAB Records; by that November, the band comprised Johnson, Bunting, and McMahon. That month, they released the single "Kill You", which Johnson had written the previous February about being comfortable enough in a relationship to show quirks. In February 2023, they announced their second EP Duality and released the single "Delirious". Duality, which had been recorded at Narcissus Studios in London and produced by Iain Berryman, took its title from the fact that it comprised love songs and angry songs, while Johnson wrote "Delirious" in a fit of rage after suffering from constant misogyny from sound engineers during festival season. A further single, "Don't Leave Me Behind", was released in April 2023, with Duality released in June 2023.

Two weeks after Duality was released, the band re-released that album's track "Bored", a more positive derivative of "Delirious", in an attempt to surprise their fans. The band supported Inhaler on their Cuts & Bruises tour in November 2023 and were featured on Dork's "Hype List 2024" the month after. In January 2024, the band released "Give Me A Reason Why", announced their "Seeing It Now" tour for April and May 2024, and released their debut mixtape, Seeing It Now. The last of these featured a cover of Pixies' "Where Is My Mind" and a new version of their earlier track "See Red", with physical copies also sporting a cover of their earlier track "Anyway".

Artistry

The band have frequently cited Wolf Alice and Slowdive as influences and have described themselves as a "Tesco Value" version of the former. Johnson has stated that Wolf Alice's lead singer Ellie Rowsell was her inspiration for being in a band and idolised Taylor Swift and Beyoncé growing up, while Bunting has stated that he was a big Metallica fan growing up and wanted to be the band's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett. For their cover of Swift's "Love Story", Johnson was inspired by a grungy take on Bon Iver she had seen on Triple J. The band have also cited as influences Jaws, Pale Waves, Palace, Foals, The Cure, Ben Howard, Boards of Canada, Paolo Nutini, My Bloody Valentine, and the Smashing Pumpkins. Writing in July 2021, Sophie Williams of NME described the band's works as indie pop, while Johnson's vocals were described by Skiddle in January 2024 as having a "Hayley Williams-esque delivery". Finlay Holden of Dork described Making Sense of It All as a mix of indie rock, grunge, and dream pop, while Mala Mortensa of Alternative Press described "Let Me Inside Your Head"'s vibe as "expect from a Halsey-fronted version of Nirvana" and Andy Von Pip of Under the Radar noted that their rendition of "Love Story" "turned a sweet, romantic optimistic pop song into a heavy dystopian doom rocker".

Discography

Mixtapes

Extended plays

Singles

Tours

Headlining

• Seeing It Now Tour (2024)

Supporting

• Lovejoy – Inselaffe Tour (2023; three shows)
• Grandson - I Love You, I'm Trying Tour (2023; seven shows)
• Inhaler – Cuts & Bruises Tour (2023; two shows)
• The Amazons - December 2023 Tour (2023; ten shows)

Notes

1. • For "Outside" being released in May 2021, see .
   • For Milne leaving, see .
2. • Wolf Alice in May 2020 and May 2021, and Slowdive in May 2020 and January 2024.

References

1. ^ "Under the Radar: swim school". The Scotsman. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
2. ^ "Swim School". Sneaky Pete's. 23 February 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
3. "Edinburgh-native Swim School debut the joyous single 'Sway'". The Student. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
4. ^ "Swim School's Alice Johnson will continue to battle sexism in the music industry". Alloa Advertiser. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
5. ^ Von Pip, Andy (25 June 2021). "Swim School on Expanding Their Sound During Lockdown and Their Upcoming Debut EP". Under The Radar. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
6. "Swim School play 'Independent Venue Week' gig at unusual location". Brighton and Hove News. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
7. ^ Mortensa, Mala (29 March 2021). "10 emerging Scottish bands who are innovating alternative music". Alternative Press. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
8. ^ "Edinburgh's swim school release heavyweight angst-anthem "Outside"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
9. "Band Of The Week // SWIM SCHOOL". GIG GOER. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
10. "BBC Introducing in Scotland, Swim School in Session". BBC Radio Scotland. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
11. ^ Sefton, Max (16 December 2021). "Swim School @ The Mash House: live review - The Skinny". The Skinny. Retrieved 11 July 2024. Cite error: The named reference "skinny" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
12. ^ "swim school thrash out their vulnerable side on "Anyway" | Best Fit". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
13. "Swim School establish themselves as bold, brash, and bright on Making Sense Of It All". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
14. ^ Taylor, Sam (1 February 2023). "Swim School GET ANGRY TO KICK AGAINST THE SEXIST PRICKS WITH THEIR NEW RIGHTEOUS RAGER 'DELIRIOUS': "I'D HAD ENOUGH"". Dork. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
15. Farr, Jacob (10 July 2022). "Edinburgh music map launched to showcase the best venues and hotspots in the capital". Edinburgh Live. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
16. Corrine, Brianna (28 November 2023). "A Conversation with Swim School: "At the end of the day, you're inspired by people."". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
17. ^ Holden, Finlay (16 November 2022). "Edinburgh indie-rock trio swim school have returned with their vulnerable new single, 'kill you'". Dork. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
18. ^ Forstneger, Steve (1 February 2023). "Swim School's "Delirious" teaches how to bat lashes and give the finger". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
19. Taylor, Sam (5 April 2023). "swim school have released a new single, and confirmed a London headline show". Dork. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
20. "Swim School - Duality EP". Dork. June 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
21. "Swim School | English | Metal Magazine". metalmagazine.eu. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
22. tessbowen (20 November 2023). "Live Review: Inhaler rock Barras". Brig Newspaper. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
23. "Swim School certainly 'Making Sense Of It All'". Brighton and Hove News. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
24. "INTRODUCING THE BUMPER END-OF-YEAR DOUBLE ISSUE OF DORK, FEATURING OUR ANNUAL NEW MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA, THE HYPE LIST". Dork. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
25. Murray, Robin (10 January 2024). "swim school's 'Give Me A Reason Why' Is An Illuminating Return | News". Clash. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
26. ^ "Swim School HAVE ANNOUNCED A HEADLINE UK TOUR". Dork. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
27. Reeve, Adam (17 April 2024). "swim school talk all things Seeing It Now / Peeled Back". Dead Good Music. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
28. "Swim School Have Released a New Mixtape EP, 'Seeing It Now'". Dork. 17 April 2024. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
29. ^ Keirl, Sam (15 May 2020). "Interview: swim school". The Bodega. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
30. ^ "Who TF are swim school?". Clout. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
31. ^ Holden, Finlay (23 August 2021). "Swim School: "BASICALLY, WE'RE TESCO VALUE WOLF ALICE"". Dork.
32. "Swim School on their debut EP, their love of Strymon pedals and opening up about mental health". Guitar.com | All Things Guitar. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
33. Williams, Sophie (22 July 2021). "10 unmissable new acts to catch at festivals this summer". NME. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
34. "Women Rock! Day 2024: Female fronted bands to watch out for in 2024". Skiddle. 4 January 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
35. Holden, Finlay (11 August 2021). "swim school - making sense of it all EP". Dork. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
36. "Seeing It Now, by swim school". LAB Records. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
37. ^ "swim school Singles and EPs Discography". Spotify.
38. "swim school - BORED (Official Video)". YouTube. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
39. "swim school - To Grow (Official Video)". YouTube. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
40. @livejoy (16 February 2023). "ALL SUPPORTS ANNOUNCED for Lovejoy Inselaffe Tour '23!" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 March 2024 – via Twitter.
41. "Grandson - Electric Ballroom". Electric Ballroom. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
42. @InhalerDublin (12 September 2023). "Very happy to announce our supports for our upcoming European and UK tour dates! Remaining tickets here: https://inhaler.band/tour/" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 April 2024 – via Twitter.
43. @TheAmazons (7 November 2023). "Delighted to welcome Fiona Lee aboard this December, alongside the wonderful @weareswimschool ❤️‍🔥" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 April 2024 – via Twitter.

• Scottish indie rock groups
• Scottish musical trios
• Female-fronted musical groups
• Rock music groups from Edinburgh
• Musical groups established in 2019
• Scottish rock music groups