swim school

Formed in Edinburgh in late 2018, swim school occupies a musical space where Scottish indie rock intersects with indie pop, alternative rock and dream-pop textures that at times verge on shoegaze. Centered on singer and guitarist Alice Johnson, the project began as a four-piece and evolved through lineup changes, with Lewis Bunting and later Billy McMahon becoming part of the band's core. After the early singles “Sway” and “Take You There” in 2019, swim school used the pandemic period to refocus on songwriting, resulting in the EP Volume 1 (2021) and Making Sense Of It All (2022). Their sound sharpened around thick guitars, clear melodies and a constant tension between grunge energy and more ethereal atmospheres. Signed to LAB Records, swim school followed with Duality in 2023, the mixtape Seeing It Now in 2024, and their eponymous debut album Swim School in 2025. On stage they have moved through UK clubs, festivals like The Great Escape and Mad Cool, and supported acts such as Inhaler, The Amazons, The Charlatans and Suede.