In this ‘Listed’ feature, we get to know the most radicalist up-and-coming stars through a themed list of their top musical picks.

This time it’s London-based day-dreamers Swimming Tapes.

In an age of proliferating reverb pedals and tape machine emulators, many have tried their hand at capturing the nostalgic essence of the dream-pop forefathers. It remains, however, a genre that’s only truly been done justice by a choice few. Hand In Hive signees Swimming Tapes have repeatedly proved themselves one of the notable few, set apart from the echo chamber not by an incisive choice of equipment but by their dedication to a simple sincerity.

Over the course of the band’s short lifetime, Louis Price, Robbie Reid, Jason Hawthorne, Paddy Conn and Andrew Evans have developed a knack for writing affecting indie-pop gems characterised by wistful lyrics and timeless melodies, all wrapped up in a soft blanket of analog warmth. Indeed, theirs is a music that keenly evokes the sentimental process of flicking through old Polaroid snaps - confronting memories as they gently fade into the annals of time - but it feels crucial to mention that their music is also rich with an immediate, blissful sense of fun.

The strength of their output is clearly exemplified by their two shimmering EPs, Souvenirs and Soft Sea Blue, which boast such delights as the bittersweet breakthrough single ‘Cameos’, their glorious anthem for day-dreaming lovers ‘Set The Fire’ and the sublimely sun-drenched ode to their hometown of Bangor, Northern Ireland: ‘Queen’s Parade’.

We’re thrilled to be having them play both our showcases with Hand In Hive and CALM in Brighton (no doubt a perfect setting for their swooning seafront songs), so we asked the band to curate a playlist for us in celebration. Happily, and true to the form, the rising quintet kept the nautical theme alive with their ‘10 Songs About Swimming’.

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1. Super Furry Animals - ‘Arnofio / Glo in the Dark’

Jason Hawthorne: This track is from the Furry’s 1998 B-sides and rarities album Out Spaced. There aren’t very many bands in the world who have an album of B-sides that could knock out of the park most bands’ greatest hits albums. Only two more come to mind, Oasis - The Masterplan and Nirvana - Insecticide. ‘Arbofio / Glo in the Dark’ is a song that depicts a sunrise on a beach pretty much perfectly. You have the nice chilled lead up to the sunrise with the verses and when the chorus hits you are hit with the strongest sunshine you will have ever experienced.  I can’t think of another song so effective in the transition of chilled to upbeat.



2. Weezer - ‘Across the Sea’ 

JH: Weezer’s so called “flop” of an album Pinkerton is still one of those albums that’s on heavy rotation in my house. As a follow-up album it’s still, in my opinion, one of the greatest. ‘Across the Sea’ from said album combines all of the things that make Weezer unique and masters of the Power Pop genre - heavy guitars, the hookiest of top lines and in my opinion one of the best middle 8s of the past 20 years. If you haven’t unleashed your inner air guitar hero persona to this track, you are missing out.



3. Badly Drawn Boy - ‘Fall In A River’ 

Paddy Conn: One of my favourite memories of buying CDs in a shop back in the day, was when someone else buys you one! This was bought for me for my birthday by my friend Gregg. I could always relate to it because it sounded so home recorded and it really inspired some of my own super lo-fi home recordings, using samples recorded off the TV onto VHS then playing them back straight down the microphone. At the end of this track, you can hear a sample of someone falling into a river and then it feels like all the music gets submerged into some enchanted dreamy underwater world. Check it ooot.



4. Yo La Tengo - ‘How Jellyfish Are Born’

PC: Yo La Tengo were introduced to me by a lovely American guy called Adam, he lived down the hall from me at Northumbria Uni. I fell in love with their experimental instrumental jams. We used to have a few beers in my room and I would introduce him to British music I like and he would do the same for American music. I never got his email, if you are reading this Adam, get in touch mate. This song is off a score they wrote to accompany a documentary film shot underwater by an artist called Jean Painleve. It’s called The Sounds of the Sounds of Science. It really creates an ambience that you can imagine music under water should sound like. Pure beaut.



5. Nada Surf - ‘Your Legs Grow’

Andrew Evans: There’s a lot of imagery in the lyrics to this song that reference being out in the water and being caught up in the enormity of it. There are really sweet moments, lyrically, usually followed up by quite dark turns of phrase relating to being swept out into the oceanic abyss if that person in your life “moves off to the side”. Past lives or decisions or conversations are rising up from the bottom of grand lakes with a Jaws-like ominousness. It’s such a delicate song, and Matthew Caws’ melodies and harmonies are as fragile and emotive as ever. In the chorus he sings “where it’s cold but not that deep, cos your legs grow” – which I’ve always thought was a beautiful way of describing tentatively finding the courage to step out a little further into the unknown. In life, in a relationship, whatever it may be. Sometimes you’ve got to get out into the water and try to swim.



6. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - ‘Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)’

AE: This was the song that initially got me hooked on this band. Some of the complexities that are disguised as simplicities are so cool. The wooziness of the vocals and the production adds such a timeless element. I think one of the double-tracked vocals is panned hard left and the other hard right which gives the song such an immersive, almost eerie effect. And, of course, there are massive, massive hooks around every corner. I really like the imagery of wishing you could sink to the bottom of the ocean and stay there. It’s such a jam.



7. Real Estate - ‘Pool Swimmers’

Robbie Reid: I’ve never been to New Jersey, but this song gives me the impression that summers there involve a lot of hot, hazy days, lounging by a pool somewhere. This tune is off the first Real Estate album from 2009, and it was one of my favourite records that year. It’s super lo-fi - I think they recorded most of it on a Tascam 8 track tape recorder, testament that you don’t need a fancy studio to make a great record.



8. The Jesus and Mary Chain - ‘Dirty Water’

RR: The first song off Stoned and Dethroned probably isn’t thought of as being a classic Mary Chain track, and has some of those mid 90s flourishes that sound a bit dated now (does that harmonica need to be in the background?); but the two chord verse with the cool-as-anything vocal delivery, “fuck with me and I’ll fuck with you, isn’t what we’re supposed to do” sort of sums up the attitude that I love about that band. You can almost tell that Jim Reid wore sunglasses when he sang it.



9. Broken Social Scene - ‘Swimmers’

Louis Price: Swimmers is on BSS’s self-titled album from 2005. When it came out it was on repeat in my CD player for months. ‘Swimmers’ is super chill with the usual sick unorthodox production and unique songwriting that sums up BSS. Feist’s vocal tone and delivery is lush and has a sort of vulnerability to it. They played Belfast on the tour for this record, I went and it blew my wee mind. 2 drummers, 4 guitarists, a brass section and what seemed like 10 vocals going at the same time produced a huge wall of sound, have never quite experienced anything like it since.



10. Modest Mouse - ‘3^rd Planet’

LP: ‘3rd Planet’ is on Modest Mouse’s The Moon & Antarctica record, released in 2000. The record itself is a completely beautiful and bonkers thing, as you would expect from this era of MM, but hints at their soon to be turn to the slightly more accessible. This is one of the tracks that guides you in that more palatable direction and you can hear vibes from the soon to be and much more successful Good News for People Who Love Bad News record embedded in there. He says the word ‘swim’ in it somewhere I promise. I bought this album on vinyl recently. It’s my girlfriend’s favourite record. It’s not for everyone, but holds special memories for me as a teenager getting messed up in my garage. Therefore, I love it.



Catch Swimming Tapes both at the free Hand In Hive x TMR Showcase on Friday 18^th May at Brighton’s The Mucky Duck, and at the official Great Escape on Saturday 19^th.

-Karl Jawara