The origin story of Washington D.C.-based band Swings is a rare one: guitarist Jamie Finucane and percussionist Dan Howard's creative relationship began when they played baseball together, way back in middle school. Bassist Zach Lewton joined them a few years later, and they've been making music together ever since. Now the trio is in their early twenties, taking time off from college to tour the country after recording Sugarwater, a record full of shifts and flows.
Swings recorded Sugarwater between semesters in Howard's aunt's country house in the small Virginia town of Timberville. The music attempts to capture "the feeling of being in that house as much as possible," Finucane told The FADER in an email. "We tried to make a short and sweet album that's fun and engaging and never tiresome to listen to.” Despite being recorded in a tiny town, Sugarwater is anything but small. There are synths, auto-tuned vocals, and jazz-influenced structures. It's slow and winding. It's sweet, but also a little bitter. This is an album for transitioning from the chill of the year's end to the vague promise of fresh beginnings in a new year. The album, streaming below, is officially out November 13th via Exploding in Sound, and a cassette version will be available on Como Tapes.