Name: I Was Born Swimming
Brand: Squirrel Flower

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

FTH366LP

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

 Pressed on Recycled Vinyl - so a Random Assortment of Colours.

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2020-01-31

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

PIAS

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5060626461529

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Total Cap

1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

Artist

Squirrel Flower

Genre GB

Alternative / Modern

Label GB

Full Time Hobby

Full Time Hobby is an independent music label based in London, England. Established in 2004 by Nigel Adams and Wez Westley, the label has been a platform for showcasing diverse and talented artists from various genres. With a focus on quality music production, Full Time Hobby has gained recognition as a leading authority in the industry.

Since its inception, Full Time Hobby has consistently delivered exceptional music releases that have captivated audiences worldwide. The label's commitment to nurturing emerging talent and supporting established artists has earned them a reputation for being at the forefront of cutting-edge music.

With *Nigel Adams* and *Wez Westley* at the helm, Full Time Hobby continues to push boundaries and explore new musical territories. Their passion for discovering unique sounds ensures that every release from the label is a testament to their unwavering dedication to artistic excellence.

Squirrel Flower is an American indie rock/folk rock project and alias of singer/songwriter Ella Williams. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Ella grew up in Arlington. With a unique blend of indie and folk influences, Squirrel Flower's music captivates listeners with its heartfelt lyrics and melodic sound.
Having gained recognition for her introspective songwriting and soulful vocals, Squirrel Flower has become a prominent figure in the indie music scene. Her captivating performances and raw emotion resonate with audiences, making her a must-listen artist for fans of alternative music.
Whether she's performing solo or collaborating with other talented musicians, Squirrel Flower continues to push boundaries and create music that speaks to the depths of the human experience. With each release, she solidifies her place as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary indie rock/folk rock.

Vinyl variants, bonus material and signed editions exclusively available from Rough Trade.

Squirrel Flower - the moniker of Ella O’Connor Williams - releases I Was Born Swimming, her debut album, on Full Time Hobby. The album’s title was inspired by Williams’ birth on August 11th 1996 - the hottest day of the year - born still inside a translucent caul sac membrane, surrounded by amniotic fluid. Throughout the 12 songs, landscapes change and relationships shift. The album’s lyrics feel like effortless expressions of exactly the way it feels to change — abstract, sad and hopeful.

Squirrel Flower’s music is ethereal and warm, gushing with emotional depth that the listener can step into like a warm bath. The band on I Was Born Swimming plays with delicate intention, keeping the arrangements natural and light. The album was tracked live, with few overdubs, at The Rare Book Room Studio in New York City with producer Gabe Wax (Adrienne Lenker, Palehound, Cass McCombs). The musicians were selected by Wax and folded themselves into the songs effortlessly. At the heart of the album lives Williams’ massive, haunted vibrating voice and melancholic, soulful guitar.

The sounds expand and contract over diverse moods, cutting loose on the heavier riffs of Red Shoulder. "Red Shoulder is a song about destabilization and dissociation,” explains Williams. “Something soft and tender becomes warped and sinister, turning into sensory overload and confusion. How can something so lovely turn painful and claustrophobic? The song ends with a heavy and visceral guitar solo, attempting to reground what went awry."

Williams comes from a deep-rooted musical family tree. Her grandparents were classical musicians who lived in the Gate Hill Co-op, an artistic cooperative from upstate New York that grew out of Black Mountain College. Ella’s father, Jesse Williams, spent most of his life as a touring jazz and blues performer and educator, and lends his bass playing to the album (listen for his smooth solo on Headlights). Growing up in a family of hard working musicians fostered a love of music and started Williams down her own musical path. As a child, Williams adopted the alter ego of Squirrel Flower. A couple years later, she began singing with the Boston Children’s Chorus while studying music theory and teaching herself to play the guitar. As a teen, she discovered the Boston DIY and folk music scenes and began writing, recording, and performing her own songs, now returning to the name Squirrel Flower as her chosen moniker. By the time Williams had begun performing live, recording and touring, she was already well on her way to the signature artful songcraft heard on I Was Born Swimming.

I Was Born Swimming

Music GB

Buy Squirrel Flower - I Was Born Swimming (Vinyl, CD) now from Rough Trade - independent purveyors of great music, since 1976.