Naarm/Melbourne-based surf-punk band Going Swimming have just unveiled their latest record ‘Can’t Wake Up’ – produced by the band and mixed by Rohan Sforcina (Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Adalita).
‘Can’t Wake Up’ is a 10-track compilation that unleashes a relentless barrage of high-energy sonic waves, capturing senses of spirit, introspection and searching for freedom. With blistering guitars, thunderous drums and anthemic shouts, it’s an unapologetic and adrenaline fuelled journey that brims with infectious hooks and a raw, defiant attitude as the album grows to climactic crescendos.
Going Swimming talks about the inspiration behind ‘Can’t Wake Up’: “‘Can’t Wake Up’ is a collection of dark surf punk ditties which we wrote and recorded over the last couple of years, mostly written during the Covid lockdown period, with a couple of older tracks pulled in which fit the overall aesthetic. At the risk of sounding a bit naff, that period saw everyone experience life in a very different way. Like many, we turned inwards and wrote songs to capture and share our experiences. For us, this resulted in a slightly darker, perhaps more mature (at least my mum thinks so) sound, but retaining all the fun, rowdy and catchy elements that we all love. It was great fun pulling this one together in the jam room and laying it down at Head Gap Recording Studio. It’s going to be a bloody belter playing these tunes live for you all!”
Unbelievable Seals and Cold Front open the offering with dynamic rhythms underscored by rabid drums and descending guitar riffs, cultivating an atmosphere of suspense that draws from the harmonic minor scale to evoke a pervasive sense of intensity and disorder.
Singles All Dressed Up To Cry and Hating / Waiting follow, characterised by melodic allure, marked by vocals that progressively intensify. These songs culminate in a bridge adorned with haunting, reverb-soaked solos that add intricacy to the shrieking arrangement. The latter track features aggressive vocals and gritty guitars that harmonise with chant-like backing vocals in the final chorus, culminating in a crescendo that seamlessly transitions into an instrumental breakdowns.
In Murderous Mongoose and Unimpressed, a relentless deluge of infectious energy ensues, spearheaded by soaring chants from frontman Nicholas Leggatt, accompanied by fervent gang vocals and interludes of chromatic guitar riffs that provide brief respites.
Both Stuck and Malaria commence with evocative surf-punk inspired guitar lines before surging into a high-octane fervor driven by distorted instrumentation. Instrumental interludes intermittently punctuate these tracks, offering momentary respite before propelling into their own energetic climaxes.
The focus track, Can’t Wake Up emerges as the collections pièce de résistance, amalgamating the finest facets of the record thus far. Featuring infectious melodies, this song incorporates a dynamic instrumental interlude halfway through before plunging into an eerie bridge, leaving a lingering impression. The release culminates with Not A Get At where forceful rhythmic stabs drive the composition to a thrilling and resolute conclusion.
To celebrate the albums release, the band will play a one-off launch show at Lulie Tavern in Naarm/Melbourne. The band have continuously played to capacity crowds since their formation and supported the likes of Australian favourites Polish Club, and international hotshots Guantanamo Baywatch (USA) and White Fang (USA).
Singles off the record have received widespread blog support from Pilerats, Backseat Mafia Downunder, The AU Review, Good Call Live, AAA Backstage and Eat This Music. They’ve also received extensive radio love from Australian radio stations triple j, triple j Unearthed, 2SER, 2RRR, PBS FM, SYN Media and 2XX FM.
With thanks to Good Intent
