Biography

Swimming Tapes have had a clear agenda from day one. The band formed when four friends - Louis Price, Robbie Reid, Paddy Conn and Jason Hawthorne - settled in London from Northern Ireland and met drummer Andrew Evans. Drawing on a range of musical influences, from the effortless summer melodies of The Beach Boys to Wild Nothing’s dreamy, shoegazing hue through to the interweaving guitar work of Real Estate, the indie outfit formed the unmistakable sound of Swimming Tapes and self-released their debut single “Souvenirs” in March 2016. EP 2, produced by Adam Jaffrey (Palace, Gengahr, Leif Erikson), pushed the band on a level, with “Queen’s Parade” and “Alison” adding a punchier element to their sound, winning the band a session at the legendary Maida Vale Studios for BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens. 2018 saw Swimming Tapes sign a deal with Sub Pop Publishing, win PRS Momentum Funding, tour the UK for the first time and was used writing and recording Morningside; a debut album that shows a band who continue to develop, while staying true to their original ideals. Slow-burning instrumental sections swoon alongside the quick-fire accessible pop songwriting that won Swimming Tapes fans from day one. With Tom Schick - known for his work with the likes of Real Estate, Iron & Wine and Jeff Tweedy - behind the mixing desk and a UK tour in April, 2019 was a defining year for Swimming Tapes. Before the Covid pandemic hit, the band played back to back shows in Tokyo.