We're Only Here For The Banter - Olympic Swimmers

Olympic Swimmers are a five piece from Glasgow who make somewhat shoe-gaze influenced indie music.  I first heard the band supporting Admiral Fallow in The Arches last year, and with an album due for release this year a few more heads should be turned the way of this impressive outfit.  Susie from the band took some time to answer a few questions.  Have a read.

Hello, how are you?

I’m usually a bit moany but less so today.

It's the question everyone hates, but could you tell us a little bit about your music and your influences?

I don't hate it, I'm just not very good at answering it... Sometimes it's loud, sometimes it's really quiet. There's usually an opportunity to look at your shoes, but more for a prolonged glance than a true gaze, and more recently we seem to have had a brief outbreak of faster tunes to ensure noone falls asleep at gigs. It tends to verge on the melancholic, but we do try hard to balance that out with some element of uplift! We all have very broad and often opposing tastes but in relation to the music we do with OS we are generally agreed on our love of, and therefore openness to influence from, bands like Aereogramme, Cocteau Twins, Low.

What's your song writing process like?

Usually start with someone's idea(s) and play/sing around it until we can agree or it's time to go home.

What could we expect to see from a live show?

If you're really lucky a malfunctioning smoke machine and a pseudo-religious experience.

If it were all to end tomorrow, what would you say has been your greatest achievement?

Depends what's ending! The band? My life? The world? We made an album during 2011 and we’re just getting ready to put it out. I'm very very pleased that we've managed to do this! I feel like we put a lot into it and are so happy with how it's turned out that although it would be a bit unfortunate if noone else ever hears it, it might soften the blow of the world ending to know that we at least managed to finish it.

What have you got planned for 2012?

To release this album! As soon as possible in case the world ends.

At Scottish Fiction we focus on new Scottish music, how do you as a band view the Scottish music 'scene'?

I'm not sure we've ever discussed it so I can't really tell you what anyone else's view is! I think that it’s nice that bands of all different styles appreciate each other’s music and can work together or play together and it doesn’t seem odd. I like the lack of genre!

What other Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?

Happy Particles, No Comet, Holy Mountain

Thanks for speaking with us, would you care to share a joke with us?

Here’s a suitably themed Chic Murray number: My girlfriend's a redhead, no hair, just a red head

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