Headswim
Encyclopedia
Headswim was an indie-rock
band
formed in Essex
, England
by Daniel Glendining (guitar
/vocals) and his brother
Tom Glendining (drums), along with their friends Clovis Taylor (bass
) and Nick Watts (keyboards
/backing vocals). The band had previously been known as Blinder but changed their name in 1992.
and progressive rock
. Headswim’s first releases were two four-track EP
s, Tense Nervous Head and Moment of Union on their own Crush Records label (the eight songs from the two EPs would later be compiled and released as the mini-album Tense Moments). The EPs made enough of an impression for them to be signed by the Sony Music subsidiary Epic Records
in an eight-album deal and they released their full-length debut album
Flood in 1994. The album's third single "Crawl" made the UK Singles Chart
and the band embarked on their first extensive tour of the UK
and Europe
.
However, the death later that year of Dan and Tom's brother Matthew (who had created all of the band's album artwork up to this point) after a long battle with leukaemia had a profound effect on the group. The band took some time to regroup and Headswim re-emerged in 1997 with their second album Despite Yourself
which contained many cathartic songs about death and spirituality. The group’s music had also shifted from their earlier grunge influences to a more reflective alternative rock sound more akin to artists such as Radiohead
and Jeff Buckley
. The lead single "Tourniquet" reached the Top 30 in the UK and was a minor radio hit
in the U.S.
Soon after, the band supported Kula Shaker
on a U.S. tour. However, sales of the album did not live up to expectations and Sony made the decision to drop them. Subsequently the band released only one further single, "Dusty Road", in 2000 on the independent record label
Pet Sounds in the UK, before splitting up in early 2001.
Following the group’s split, Daniel Glendining formed a new band, BlackCar
, essentially a solo project with occasional contributions from other musicians. He also composed the instrumental film score
for Lindy Heymann’s 2010 low-budget British film
, Kicks. Tom Glendining also plays drums for BlackCar, dividing his time between the group and another band, The Tenebrous Liar. In February 2011 it was announced that Dan would be joining his brother Tom in The Tenebrous Liar as their new guitarist while continuing to work as BlackCar. Nick Watts now works as a graphic designer
, but is still involved in the music business as he plays keyboards for the Danish alternative rock
band Mew
when they are on tour.
(highest UK chart positions taken from "British Hit Singles & Albums")
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
by Daniel Glendining (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
/vocals) and his brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
Tom Glendining (drums), along with their friends Clovis Taylor (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Nick Watts (keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
/backing vocals). The band had previously been known as Blinder but changed their name in 1992.
History
The band’s early sound was influenced by grungeGrunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
. Headswim’s first releases were two four-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s, Tense Nervous Head and Moment of Union on their own Crush Records label (the eight songs from the two EPs would later be compiled and released as the mini-album Tense Moments). The EPs made enough of an impression for them to be signed by the Sony Music subsidiary Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in an eight-album deal and they released their full-length debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Flood in 1994. The album's third single "Crawl" made the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and the band embarked on their first extensive tour of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
However, the death later that year of Dan and Tom's brother Matthew (who had created all of the band's album artwork up to this point) after a long battle with leukaemia had a profound effect on the group. The band took some time to regroup and Headswim re-emerged in 1997 with their second album Despite Yourself
Despite Yourself
Despite Yourself is the second and final studio album released by the English rock band Headswim. The album was issued by Epic Records on 2 September 1997 in the US and on 18 May 1998 in the UK and the rest of Europe, and spawned two singles for the band, "Tourniquet" and "Better Made"...
which contained many cathartic songs about death and spirituality. The group’s music had also shifted from their earlier grunge influences to a more reflective alternative rock sound more akin to artists such as Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
. The lead single "Tourniquet" reached the Top 30 in the UK and was a minor radio hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Soon after, the band supported Kula Shaker
Kula Shaker
Kula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles...
on a U.S. tour. However, sales of the album did not live up to expectations and Sony made the decision to drop them. Subsequently the band released only one further single, "Dusty Road", in 2000 on the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Pet Sounds in the UK, before splitting up in early 2001.
Following the group’s split, Daniel Glendining formed a new band, BlackCar
BlackCar
BlackCar is an English indie-rock band formed by ex-Headswim frontman and guitarist Dan Glendining. His brother Tom Glendining , Pat West and Caz have also contributed to the band at various stages....
, essentially a solo project with occasional contributions from other musicians. He also composed the instrumental film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
for Lindy Heymann’s 2010 low-budget British film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Kicks. Tom Glendining also plays drums for BlackCar, dividing his time between the group and another band, The Tenebrous Liar. In February 2011 it was announced that Dan would be joining his brother Tom in The Tenebrous Liar as their new guitarist while continuing to work as BlackCar. Nick Watts now works as a graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, but is still involved in the music business as he plays keyboards for the Danish alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Mew
Mew (band)
Mew is a Danish alternative music band consisting of Jonas Bjerre, Bo Madsen, and Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen. Bassist Johan Wohlert was also a founding member of the band, but left in 2006...
when they are on tour.
Studio albums
- Flood (1994)
- Despite YourselfDespite YourselfDespite Yourself is the second and final studio album released by the English rock band Headswim. The album was issued by Epic Records on 2 September 1997 in the US and on 18 May 1998 in the UK and the rest of Europe, and spawned two singles for the band, "Tourniquet" and "Better Made"...
(1997 in USA, 1998 in UK & Europe) - UK #24
EPs
- Tense Nervous Head (1993)
- Moment of Union (1994)
- combined and released as the mini-album Tense Moments (1994)
Singles
- "Gone to Pot" (1994)
- "Soup" (1994)
- "Crawl" (1995) - UK #64
- "Tourniquet" (1997 in USA, 1998 in UK & Europe) - UK #30
- "Better Made" (1998) - UK #42
- "Dusty Road" (2000)
(highest UK chart positions taken from "British Hit Singles & Albums")