Lou Price

Following a trip to Japan for two packed-out Tokyo shows at the start of 2020, Swimming Tapes suddenly found themselves, like most bands, unable to write and perform together. This stifling of creative output and collaboration drove Price to start putting songs together himself; something he had done in partnership with his band-mates and best-friends for many years.

The result of this isolation is Parkside Grooming - a collection of indie-pop songs which see Price wear his heart on his sleeve, allowing himself to push past barriers and become far more personal with his songwriting. Across the EP, he touches on the breakdown of his parents’ marriage when he was a child (“Caroline”), anger and confusion about the government response to the pandemic (“Figure It Out” / “Hit Me Up”) and the financial stresses and strains of living in London as a musician (“Hang Tight”).

"“Love Can Pass You By” was the song that started this project really," Price explains, "I wrote it way before the others. It’s probably the most personal song I’ve ever written; it’s about my mother, about our life and how I think it’s harder to love than hate. The easy thing to do is to hate on others, the hard thing to do is to love them anyway even if you don’t agree with their world outlook or opinions."

The first song to appear from the EP, "Love Can Pass You By" perfectly captures what Price's songwriting is all about - nostalgic, gently melancholic but tinged with catchiness and hope throughout.