To My Brother

Album: Mothers (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Recorded at London's The Church studios under the guidance of Dreamtrak and mixed by David Wrench (Caribou, FKA Twigs, Kate Tempest), this song is a marked departure from Swim Deep's previous tunes. Vocalist Austin Williams said: "There's been inspiration from the sound and ethics of the acid house movement of the late eighties. It feels like there are a lot of parallels with what we have today, that sort of determination to dance whilst everything falls apart around you."

    "We're not being revivalists though, for us every summer could be the summer of love," he added. "This track comes from pure obsession with Motown hits, a 303 machine we dusted off in the studio and a heroic breakbeat whilst lyrically it's reflecting a war with my own words, a sort of frustrated parody. Preaching to myself."
  • The song's kaleidoscopic music video was directed by Irrum (Cloud Control, Lonely The Brave) and features vivid imagery of an imaginary world. "The band said that they felt like they were ready to shave their heads and go to war with this new record, and they wanted a video that represented that feeling," said Irrum. "It felt like the perfect opportunity to re-imagine a completely new world, rather than a representation of psychedelia we have seen before."

    "I came up a concept that solely focused on an evolution of color; a giant spinning wheel that diffused color to birds, botanics, and statues of the band themselves," he added. "It felt important that the objects populating the video were real, so however surreal it appeared it felt tangible and vivid."
  • Austin Williams explained the Mother album title to HMV.com: "We spent ages talking about what to call the record and one of us suggested 'To My Brother'" he said.

    "I don't like the idea of calling a record after a song, so 'To My Brother' morphed into 'To My Mother' and then to 'Mothers,'" Williams added. "I think it ties the record together quite nicely, it's a good metaphor for so much of it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."

Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Gary Louris of The JayhawksSongwriter Interviews

The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against

Tim McIlrath of Rise AgainstSongwriter Interviews

Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath explains the meanings behind some of their biggest songs and names the sci-fi books that have influenced him.

Is That Song Public Domain?

Is That Song Public Domain?Fact or Fiction

Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.