SWIMMING

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“Washed in sound with a great big brush, Swimming’s canvas is wide and handsome, big as the sky, colour dripped from above, layer on layer, like an Auerbach take on Pollock” – Artrocker, September ‘08.

One of the most refreshing acts to have emerged from the UK in 2008, Swimming are rapidly developing a devoted fanbase on the basis of their intense and mesmerizing live shows. Artfully blending the power and and energy of Pixies with the ambient soundscapes of Boards Of Canada, their talent for sonic experimentation never detracts from their innate gift for melody.

In 2008, a couple of low-level digital single releases via Brighton’s Izumi Records garnered plaudits from critics such as Huw Stephens (Radio 1), Dean Jackson (BBC Nottingham) and Glastonbury’s own Emily Eavis, who personally selected the band to play this year’s festival. This has been followed by shows with contemporaries such as Chairlift, Pivot and Shearwater.

Building on this early critical acclaim, May 2009 will see the release of Swimming’s debut album, The Fireflow Trade, on their own Colourschool label. Engineered entirely by the band themselves and produced by frontman John Sampson (whose previous producer credits include the likes of Amusement Parks On Fire), the album is a beautiful synergy of textures and melodies. www.myspace.com/swimmingband.

Swimming is also the musical project of Portland’s Michelle Lamanet. She currently has 2 releases, a self-titled CD-R and “You Are Your Own” which was recorded in Olympia by Michelle and Jacob Wilson from Kickball, Eli Moore from Lake, and Heather Hall from lots of different projects.