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Where the Heaven Are We

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Where the Heaven Are We is the debut studio album by Birmingham indie rock band Swim Deep, released on 5 August 2013.[1] It peaked at number 20 in the UK album charts and received mostly positive reviews.[2][3]

The album was recorded with producer Charlie Hugall and follows from their previous singles released between 2012 and 2013. The album is available on 12" vinyl, CD and digital download and was recorded in Brussels in the last few months of 2012.

Two years before releasing the album, Swim Deep released their first demos on the internet before signing with their label. Swim Deep later released a new track, "Crush", that was left off Where the Heaven Are We.[4]

Background

Swim Deep was formed in 2011 with Austin Williams, Tom 'Higgy' Higgins and Wolfgang J Harte. Williams and Higgy met in Morrisons where they both worked. A year later, they moved to Birmingham and met the rest of the band at parties.[5] The band struggled with multiple drummers until they finally recruited Austin's best friend Zachary Robinson who, at the time, played in a band called Cajole Cajole. On the subject, Austin said, "We thought it was a long shot but we’d just lost another drummer so we asked Zach if he wanted to join our band and he said yeah. That was one of the best things that happened, to be honest."

After a few months, Harte announced that he was leaving the band and the band was left with three members until they recruited Cavan McCarthy, the merchandise seller from fellow Birmingham band, Peace.[6] Williams compared asking people to join the band to dating, as they both require the same process of being nervous before asking the question and that members can leave too.[7] He also claimed he wants to have "a massive influence on pop music".[8]

In 2013 before their debut album release, Swim Deep went to the United States and performed with The Homophones and Fantastic Imagination.[9]

Recording

Swim Deep recorded the entire album with producer Charlie Hugall, who has also worked with Florence and the Machine.[10] The band first uploaded a few demos on Soundcloud, "Isla Vista" and "Santa Maria", in 2011.[11] Then in 2012, Swim Deep signed with Chess Club and released their debut single, "King City", in May 2012. They went on to release four more singles to critical acclaim. After a UK tour with Spector in November/December 2012, the band went to Brussels to record Where the Heaven Are We.[12] They announced the album in early 2013 with a link to buy the digital album, but later on they put the pre-orders up for the vinyl and CD. Their most popular songs are "King City" and "The Sea", which have helped their growth in the UK.

Release

In early 2013, the released details were announced for Where the Heaven Are We saying that the album would be released on 29 July 2013. However, the date was moved back to 5 August 2013, for unknown reasons. In March, the "She Changes the Weather" single was released on 7" vinyl and digital download. The album is to be released on standard 12" vinyl, standard CD, deluxe CD (with a DVD), signed deluxe CD, digital download and limited signed vinyl (which comes with a 7").

In July 2013 it was revealed that the deluxe edition of the album would feature the bonus track "Crush".[13]

A Japan only EP was released in May titled Sun on My Back made up of early demos, B-sides and "King City".[14] In June, the band released a new video for the re-release of "King City". The single was later released in July.[15]

Reception

Where The Heaven Are We has received generally favorable reviews from critics, getting a Metacritic score of 72.[16] Reviews of Where The Heaven Are We by the NME and The Guardian both rate the album a three out of five stars. The Guardian commented that "Where the Heaven Are We? is a pleasant wander through the byways of early-90s indie styles that doesn't ever really assert itself terribly strongly".[17] NME follows it up with "The dreamy, detached sneer of the vocals, the lolloping XXL basslines, all that unwashed hair… Some scenes come roaring out of the traps; B-Town seemed to roll out of bed, insular and uncontrived, smirking at its own in-jokes" and "nothing else on this debut album can quite match up to those songs shouldn’t come as too much of a jaw-dropper".[18] Music Blogged views Where The Heaven Are We from another view seeing, "the music Swim Deep creates has sunshine, escapism and innocence as key themes.", and goes further in depth with each song such as Intro and King City.[19] Aside from the negative and positive reviews of Where The Heaven Are We, "music omh" speak their review of Where The Heaven Are We as a neutral ground between the two views of The Guardian and Music Blogged stating, "While Where The Heaven Are We isn’t a perfect debut album, it’s a solid effort, and there’s enough talent on display to hint at even better things to come."[20]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Austin Williams, except where noted.

  1. "Intro" - 1:14 (Austin Williams/Tom Higgins)
  2. "Francisco" - 4:07
  3. "King City" - 4:18
  4. "Honey" - 3:39 (Austin Williams/Zach Robinson)
  5. "Colour Your Ways" - 3:02 (Austin Williams/Tom Higgins)
  6. "Make My Sun Shine" - 3:44
  7. "The Sea" - 3:40
  8. "Red Lips I Know" - 3:57
  9. "Soul Trippin'" - 4:33
  10. "Stray" - 4:14
  11. "She Changes the Weather" - 4:35 (Austin Williams/Charlie Hugall)
  12. "Crush" - 4:06 (bonus track)
Deluxe DVD
  1. "What Are We Doing Here?"
  2. "King City"
  3. "Honey"
  4. "The Sea"
  5. "She Changes the Weather"
  6. Swim Deepisode 1 - Beacons Festival
  7. Swim Deepisode 2 - 99 Problems
  8. Swim Deepisode 3 - King City Piano
  9. Swim Deepisode 4 - Tour Life
  10. Swim Deepisode 5 - Berlin Wall
  11. Swim Deepisode 6 - Travelodge
  12. Swim Deepisode 7 - She Changes the Weather
  13. Swim Deepisode 8 - Barrymore
  14. Swim Deepisode 9 - Crush
  15. Swim Deepisode 10 - Grapes

Personnel

  • Austin Williams – vocals, guitar, keyboards, organ, piano, xylophone,
  • Tom Higgins – guitar, backing vocals
  • Cavan McCarthy – bass guitar
  • Zachary Robinson – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[21] 20

References

  1. ^ "Where the Heaven Are We debut album 5th August". SWIM DEEP official Facebook. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  2. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/where-the-heaven-are-we/swim-deep
  3. ^ Nicolson, Barry (25 July 2013). "Swim Deep - "Where the Heaven Are We"". NME. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  4. ^ Corke, Ben (19 July 2013). "Music News | Listen – Swim Deep leak new track "Crush"". Music Blogged. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  5. ^ Brown, Emma. "Discovery: Swim Deep". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Swim Deep about". Swim Deep. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  7. ^ Brown, Emma. "Discovery: Swim Deep". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  8. ^ Corke, Ben (5 August 2013). "Swim Deep | Where the Heaven are We review". Music Blogged. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  9. ^ Miller, Julie (28 February 2013). "Skate through Birmingham with Swim Deep in "King City" (playing Ortlieb's Lounge on 3/20)". The Key. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  10. ^ Miller, Julie (28 February 2013). "Skate through Birmingham with Swim Deep in "King City" (playing Ortlieb's Lounge on 3/20)". The Key. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  11. ^ "SWIM DEEP soundcloud". Swim Deep. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Swim Deep to release debut album 'Where The Heaven Are We' in July". NME. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  13. ^ "Swim Deep leak new track "Crush"". Music Blogged. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  14. ^ "Sun on My Back EP released". SWIM DEEP official Facebook page. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  15. ^ "Swim Deep - King City". SwimDeepVEVO. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  16. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/where-the-heaven-are-we/swim-deep
  17. ^ Hann, Michael. "Swim Deep: Where The Heaven Are We? - review". The Guardian.
  18. ^ Nicolson, Barry. "Swim Deep - 'Where the Heaven Are We'". NME.
  19. ^ Corke, Ben. "Swim Deep l Where the Heaven are We review". Music Blogged.
  20. ^ Murphy, John. "Swim Deep - Where The Heaven Are We". music omh.
  21. ^ "Official Charts: SWIM DEEP (Artist)". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
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