Swim Camp Releases Two New Singles, “No” and “Apple”

Swim Camp released two new singles today. “No,” and “Apple” will appear on the upcoming album Steel Country, out February 24 via Julia’s War Recordings.

The musical project of Philadelphia-based Tom Morris, Swim Camp grew out of Morris’ desire to learn the guitar. He grew up playing the drums with a focus on jazz, but wanted to have more melodic control in the music he was creating. After starting to play guitar he realized that the only way to get better was to start writing music.

Morris moved back to the U.S. in 2015 after living in the Czech Republic. He began releasing music under numerous names and released seven albums on Bandcamp in under a year. With the help of friends and collaborators, Swim Camp has now been able to progress to live shows.

His first album, Scuba was released back in 2017. The natural progression and fine-tuning of Swim Camp’s sound and guitar playing are seen in his sophomore album Barlow Hill, particularly the opening track “Flood.” Often described as bedroom pop—his music is often literally made and produced in his bedroom—there are also elements of alternative indie rock and slacker rock, heavily reminiscent of Alex G and Spirit of the Beehive.

Offering a taste of the upcoming album Steel Country, “No” opens with Morris’ boyish voice. Tasteful synths that echo strings give the song an expansive atmosphere, ending with an explosion of sound followed by the buzzing of the microphone being left on.

“Apple” introduces us to distorted guitar plucking and intense percussive cymbals. The song is extremely dynamic and engaging—after opening with a burst of psych rock, it settles into a folk-rock sound accompanied by a swaying feel from the strumming and syncopated melody.

Check out “No,” and “Apple” on Spotify on on YouTube below: