‘…a playful yet heartfelt look into a simultaneously enmeshed and fractured modern world, and casts a bright light over the songwriting and performative talents…’
Self-described ‘art pop’ five-piece Swindled have kicked off their 2025 in a brilliantly buzzing fashion with their brand new single, ‘Dear Past Life’. Featuring a guest appearance from fellow north-east talent Lottie Willis, what the band offer is a perfect combination of indie whimsy and scathing social commentary.
Driving guitars push the track forwards with a nostalgic indie flair, whilst the rhythms carve out tempos that gallop forwards during the verses, before spreading out into something a little more anthemic during the choruses. The dual lead vocals are wonderfully performed, grabbing your attention with catchy, compelling melodies, and a genuine chemistry that resonates throughout. Parallel experiences of the isolation of modern life are explored through a gendered lens, yet executed in a way that seeks to remind we have far more in common than the world might lead us to think.
The band are creative enough to keep things feeling fresh, exciting, and unpredictable however, with a gorgeously playful saxophone appearance in the back half of the track. On top of all of this, the track is gorgeously produced and mastered, with enough polish to enable each element of this surprisingly dense track to shine, yet not too much as to remove the subtle indie rock rawness that peaks out from behind the glamorous art pop curtain.
‘Dear Past Life’ offers a playful yet heartfelt look into a simultaneously enmeshed and fractured modern world, and casts a bright light over the songwriting and performative talents of both Swindled and Willis. For the former, this track represents a moment that is certain to make listeners pay attention; there is a distinct creativity that cannot be denied, and may well take them very far.
For Fans Of: Courteeners, Paramore, The 1975, The Kooks, Red Rum Club
Featured photo credit belongs to @Lountonmedia.
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Swindled
Lottie Willis
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