ARXX – Swim (Submarine Cat Records)
Ahead of the release of their second album Good Boy, Brighton power pop duo ARXX release single Swim, a joyous queer anthem that celebrates individual experience and gender expression
Artist: ARXX
Track: Swim
Label: Submarine Cat Records
Released: 17 September 2024
Find it: Spotify
Let’s just say this upfront: this single is a joyous, uplifting, emotional statement of solidarity and love. Never ones to shy away from capturing personal journeys and experience in the music they make Brighton power pop duo ARXX become a mirror for their fans on latest single Swim.
The single came from a period of prolific creativity fuelled by personal growth hot off the back of their debut album, Ride or Die, in 2023. Swim was written after vocalist Hanni came out as non-binary. They said, “I wished I could have seen more representation when I was younger in order for me to get to a point where I understood myself. The world currently doesn’t feel like a very safe place to be trans, and for that reason a lot of the dialogue around trans issues is really scary and saddening. Those stories are so necessary, but with Swim I wanted to take a minute to express the joy that comes with learning yourself and feeling love from your community around you.”
And what joy there is in this song, and the video which accompanies it. It brims with the power of authenticity, the security of community, the importance which comes from acceptance. Musically there’s a cinematic ’80s soft pop vibe with tight beats and shimmering textures. The lyrical reflection of making it, of stopping trying to hide your true self to make others comfortable, of being your own home – this is a heart-filling, tear-spilling beauty of a love letter.
Swim is the fourth single to be released from the band’s forthcoming second album Good Boy. The band say they have taken a bolder direction with the collection, and the releases so far demonstrate this with aplomb. There’s been sparse-to-sparkling electro on Trouble, and the dance-infused indie rock of Good Boy, and dirty synth stabs and rhythms to set your heart racing on Crying In The Carwash.
Musically this is a band who have continually evolved and explored new aspects of their electro-power pop sound, and if Swim and the other singles already released are anything to go by we’re in for a treat when we can dive into their second album.
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Swim by ARXX is out now digitally on Submarine Cat Records. Album Good Boy is out on all formats on 4 October 2024.
Find ARXX: Website | Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Upcoming live dates:
- 4 October – Resident in-store, Brighton
- 5 October – Night Currents, Portsmouth
- 13 October – AB Club, Brussels
- 15 October – Exit, Zurich
- 16 October – Arci Beliezza, Milan
- 18 October – Strom, Munich
- 19 October – Hole 44, Berlin
- 20 October – BahnofPauli, Hamburg
- 22 October – Bar Brooklyn, Stockholm
- 24 October – Ideal Bar Vega, Copenhagen
- 27 October – Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam
- 28 October – Gebäude, Cologne
- 30 October – Supersonic, Paris
- 1 November – Deaf Institute, Manchester
- 2 November – Newcastle University, Newcastle
- 3 November – King Tuts, Glasgow
- 5 November – O2 Institute 2, Birmingham
- 6 November – Lafayette, London
- 7 November – The Fleece, Bristol
- 8 November – Jacaranda, Liverpool
- 10 November – The Button Factory, Dublin
- 16 November – Live at Leeds, Leeds
- 23 November – Concorde 2, Brighton
Image: @ciaramcmullanmedia
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Sarah Lay
A long-standing music journalist she's also co-founder of independent record label Reckless Yes, an author of novels, and when not messing around with words and music, a digital strategist.
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