Band with Stony Brook roots, SWIM, finds polished sound in new EP
After releasing its second EP, “Finally Someone,” local band “SWIM” has finally embraced its indie-pop roots.
“Our genre is exactly where it was to be all along,” Daniel McCaffrey, the lead singer of the band, said.
The EP was released on July 17, shortly after the musical group turned away from alternative rock to indie pop. “Finally Someone” gives off a light, happy vibe with soft melodies that represent what SWIM has become all about. The EP illustrates pockets of time, with all six songs portraying different phases of new love. SWIM’s organic and airy style reawakens the blurry nostalgic vision of a bright summer romance with honest and heartfelt lyrics.
SWIM’s journey started two years ago at The Bench, a bar just off Stony Brook’s campus, where the band played their first gig. Since then, they have performed at several venues across Long Island, including Revolution, the Chapin Rainbow Stage, House of Brews and 89 North.
Some of their proudest moments include being ranked as one of the top 10 best bands on Long Island in Newsday’s Battle of the Bands and participating in Stony Brook’s Brookfest music competition. The band members, McCaffrey, Nicholas Riviezzo (guitar), Pat Morelli (keyboard/bass guitar) and Brian D’Angio (drums), feel as though their fans are a source of encouragement, and without them, the confidence to escape basement jam sessions would have never existed.
“Our story has become just as much theirs as it is ours,” Riviezzo said regarding their dedication to making each song relatable to fans.
The band’s ingenious musical and lyrical structure has woven each song into a singular storyline. Originality peaks higher than ever in the second EP compared to SWIM’s first untitled EP, which was released in November of 2015. The band is almost unrecognizable in the 2015 EP, which focused more on experimentation with effects like autotune rather than writing meaningful lyrics and finding a unique sound.
“Finally Someone” begins with “Intro,” “Fall Into Me” and “Fever,” songs that bounce off playful guitar riffs and high-tuned strings to resemble the exciting, raw and dreamy start to a relationship. The latter three songs, “Special,” “Pieces of Your Heart” and “So Close” hit a more realistic note with lyrics like “let’s go back to the start” and “my love was never enough” that speak about romantic fallouts, breakups and moving on to find yourself falling in love again.
Riviezzo feels like the band has a new attitude and are open to all sorts of genres. Morelli and D’Angio joined SWIM in 2015, bringing new elements to the group with their backgrounds in technical drumming and jazz. They have both been instrumental in allowing the band to explore sounds and concepts SWIM may not have visited without them.
“I more than ever have pushed myself to listen to things I wouldn’t like,” McCaffrey said. “We try to get a really wide background, and that’s evolving us more than ever.”
While experimenting with new genres this summer, Morelli said recording locations such as rooftops in Brooklyn and a cabin in Maine helped the band create new music that will be released later this year.
“Being by the lake in Maine this summer really helped us take our next step as a band,” Morelli said. “The creative juices were really flowing cause of the kind of environment we were in.”
From playing at family birthday parties to jamming on live Facebook sessions with over 12,000 viewers, SWIM’s new philosophy has given the band a second chance. McCaffrey’s soulful voice and Riviezzo’s classic acoustic style provide a similar sound to bands like Neon Trees, The Black Keys and The Killers. Yet, it’s the boys’ radiant chemistry that makes its mark in 2017’s EP.
“Finally Someone” is now available on iTunes, Spotify and Apple Music.
