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Daughter - 'Swim Back'
Daughter : 'Swim Back'
27th February 2023

Today, Daughter share another single ‘Swim Back’ from their upcoming album Stereo Mind Game, out on 7 April.

Pre-order from 4AD Store on std black eco vinyl, ltd mixed colour eco vinyl & CD here +
Pre-order from the Daughter Store with complete catalogue bundle here +
+ Pre-order from your favourite indie store here + 
Pre-order from Rough Trade on ltd eco green vinyl & ltd eco green vinyl and ltd Live at Brixton RT exclusive CD + 
Pre-save on all digital platforms, and digital pre-order, here + 

The release follows previous singles ‘Party’, a track that recounts the place that Elena Tonra got to before deciding to give up alcohol, and ‘Be On Your Way’, a longing but resilient song about an enduring connection that is also undefinable. Returning with their first studio album for seven years, Stereo Mind Game is a new chapter for Daughter, the trio of Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli and Remi Aguilella.

Elena Tonra isn’t a keen swimmer, but oceans pervade Stereo Mind Game. On ‘Swim Back’, deep feeling comes from the bows of the 12 Ensemble, the London-based string orchestra, arranged by Haefeli, and orchestrated by Josephine Stephenson. Their parts were – fittingly – recorded at The Pool, a space in Bermondsey, south London, which is a former swimming spot. The track is accompanied by another Tiff Pritchett-directed video.

Connection and disconnection permeate Stereo Mind Game’s twelve songs literally and figuratively. In the intervening years since the Ivor Novello-nominated Music from Before the Storm (2017), the band has moved away from their initial London base – Aguilella relocated to Portland, Oregon, Haefeli to Bristol, England – and spent time on their own projects (including Tonra’s debut solo album under the moniker Ex:Re in 2018). However, despite the physical distance – further exacerbated by the pandemic – Daughter continued to meet and write together. Produced by Haefeli and Tonra, Stereo Mind Game was written and recorded in various locations including Devon, Bristol and London, England, San Diego, California, and Vancouver, Washington.  

For the first time, Tonra’s is not a lone voice. Haefeli lends vocal lines on ‘Future Lover’ and ‘Swim Back’ and on ‘Neptune’ a choir appears. Voice notes from friends and family feature on ‘Wish I Could Cross The Sea’ and ‘(Missed Calls)’. London-based string orchestra, 12 Ensemble, feature throughout the album, with orchestration by Josephine Stephenson, and a brass quartet brings warmth to ‘Neptune’ and ‘To Rage’.  

While Daughter’s previous work found power in emotional honesty, Stereo Mind Game welcomes opposing feelings. “It’s about not working in absolutes,” Haefeli says. 

Stereo Mind Game is released on 7 April and will be available digitally, on CD, cassette and on standard eco-black, eco-mix colour (indie retail only) and green (Rough Trade exclusive) vinyl formats. 

Daughter - Stereo Mind Game
4AD0512

1. Intro
2. Be On Your Way 
3. Party 
4. Dandelion 
5. Neptune 
6. Swim Back 
7. Junkmail 
8. Future Lover 
9. (Missed Calls) 
10. Isolation 
11. To Rage 
12. Wish I Could Cross The Sea