Words: Andrew Major
Out of the deep, dark depths of Oxford emerge Wild Swim. A band on the up, taking their electronic tinged indie to the masses in 2013. Ahead of the release show for their latest single 'New Dawn', we caught up with Richard Sansom, the voice behind Wild Swim, to help to get to know this exciting collection of musicians a little better.
Hi Richard, first off, what are Wild Swim all about? Is it a case of 'wild by name, wild by nature'?...
Wild Swim are all about experimentation, and never sticking to one soundworld. That's where the wildness is. Swim.
How did you hit upon the name 'Wild Swim'? Does it have some special relevance?
We nicked it from a book cover. We came across it one year when staying in Ireland together which was pretty special. The wildest swim we ever had was in Lough Hyne in Ireland; it's a lake that's fed by the sea so it shares the black coastal waters. Gnarly as hell.
You must be pretty pumped for the release of your third single ‘New Dawn’?
This period in particular is a mess of excitement and nerves as we're releasing New Dawn at the same time as writing and recording our debut album. So pumped for sure, but flustered/nauseous.
The video for ‘New Dawn’ features a rather chilling look chap splashing about in the middle of the woods in a hole full of white paint. Talk us through it a little.
We gave New Dawn to Toshadeva Palani (http://toshadeva.palani.com) in the US, along with the lyrics, and gave him pretty much free reign to do what he liked with it. We like it. He captures the song's strife well. The song is all about inner struggle, so hopefully the video manages to convey that in its own way.
What’s the story behind the track?
New Dawn's story concerns the destruction that you expose yourself to when spending a long time alone with your thoughts and how it's time to shake off the modern anxieties that drag you down. The song has become a great piece of catharsis for me.
Your sound is often described as ‘bold’ and ‘melodramatic’, do you find it hard to typecast yourselves musically?
I'd say we're more eclectic than the tag-words might suggest. I don't know why we'd be trying to type cast our sound. I wouldn't say we're bogged down in trying to fulfil any role at all for now. We just want to produce the best we can.
Comparisons to other bands can be a bit irritating at times. I’ve seen a few Wild Beasts references knocking about online, is that something you agree with given your similar vocal style and sound?
Personally I think we've shaken those previous likenesses with our new album material. I hope that when it sees the light of day it will stand alone and sound like Wild Swim.
You’re all inhabitants of Oxford, how did Wild Swim start? Was it a classic ‘met at school’ arrangement?
It was exactly that I'm afraid. Carlos, Jacob and Sam were already in a band and they picked me up over the lunch table. They took a bit of a of a punt on me in hindsight as I don't think I spoke to anyone for most of my time at that school. They must have liked my boyish charm, or run out of options. Glad they did though. We met Jamie shortly after when we all moved together to secondary school.
Who would you say are your biggest influences? Musical or otherwise?
We all collectively admire many acts. We love Grizzly Bear, Radiohead, The Knife, Bombay Bicycle Club, Atoms for Peace, Four Tet - as a few examples. I'm getting back into my big singers in preparation for laying down some vocals for the album at the moment. They include Björk, Antony Hegarty, Beth Gibbons and Elizabeth Frase, to name a few. Drenge are also a much needed bit of respite from the current pop climate.
Your sound fuses a more traditional alt-indie sound with electronic elements. Did this come naturally or was it created over time to keep up with ever changing tastes and trends?
The electronic elements of our music came in naturally. Jamie and Carlos make electronic music under the name Cubiq and have done for a few years now so the work they did there seeped in to Wild Swim. As well as that we've been listening to Techno for a while now so that also must play its part, subliminally or otherwise.
I hear you’re in the process of recording a debut album with Steve Osborne. Is it a bit daunting working with someone with such a big reputation as a producer?
You would think it would be daunting, but though there is a pressure to perform and be at your best whilst in the studio, Steve manages to put you totally at ease. Spending time with him has advanced our music drastically, and we've learnt a huge amount. I think one of the most important things we've learnt from him is trying to apply an analogue discipline to the digital world, and to focus on capturing the performance and energy of the band on record, rather than obsessing over tiny details and mistakes.
Do you feel more at home in a studio setting or out there on stage?
That's a hard one. You always miss one when you're doing the other; the environments of Riverside and Real World Studios where we recorded the album were both so welcoming and we really felt at home there. But now we've got all this new material recorded, we can't wait to get out there and play more.
The Shacklewell Arms is playing host to your single launch party on Tuesday 22nd, is it a venue you’ve played before?
Yeah we played there once before with Count Drachma, which was the bomb. We've come a hell of a long way since so this one should be a blast too.
I’m sure it’ll be a night to remember! Finally, what’s next for Wild Swim post ‘New Dawn’ release? Album, tour, world domination?
All of those things in that order but followed by 'settle for smaller scale domination'.
Wild Swim play The Shacklewell Arms, London, tonight (October 22).
'New Dawn' is released on October 21.
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