On the radar: Olympic Swimmers

Published on 19/10/2009 16:56

Play: Father Said »

Changing your name in the pursuit of fame is fairly common.

There was a really rubbish advert recently (I think it was for Norwich Union) where they had celebrities appear to talk about how they would never have made it big had they not made up a new moniker.

Anyway, Olympic Swimmers, formally Hindle Wakes, rebranded for less grandiose reasons.

"We started this band under the name Hindle Wakes," explains guitarist Simon Liddell.

"Most other bands seem to find it remarkably easy to settle on a name, but it became a bit of a burden to spell out Hindle Wakes so we picked Olympic Swimmers this summer."

Sourced from the Under the Radar blog

The band formed in 2008 and in true Glasgow member-swapping style, a number of them play with other staples of the music scene.

"Some of us moonlight in other bands," says Liddell. "Be it as full-time members in Take A Worm For A Walk Week, Piano Bar Fight and Black Rat Death Squad, or as part-timers, fillers-in, hired-hands, hangers-on etc."

With strong connections to The Delgados - two of the band play with Emma Pollock and they recently recorded with Paul Savage at Chem 19 - comparisons would be easy to make.

That said, they do have an audible connection to the Glasgow indie heroes with lead singer Suzie Liddle's vocal tone and rhythm striking a real likeness, and recent recording 'I Won't Sleep' showing they've got pools full of the melancholy lyrical attractiveness that made The Delgados so enjoyable.

The Savage recordings are to be used in a double A-side single which is due for release through Glasgow indie label Predestination Records on 19th October in advance of a run of dates supporting Idlewild and a home gig at the Captain's Rest on October 31st.

According to Norwich Union (or is that Aviva?) changing your name gives you direct access to success, so I would suggest catching them then before they get too big to play Scotland.

Either that or invest in some life insurance. Damn adverts.