Los Angeles psych-pop outfit, SWIMM, officially launched the next chapter in their creative journey with the release of the brand new single and video, “Feel Better” via a premiere on American Songwriter. The track offers solace and hope to a young LA woman who has fallen victim to “the cliches of men in Hollywood taking advantage of starry-eyed transplants for the first time” as vocalist, Chris Hess (a.k.a Cookie), puts it. As the guitars roll over a soul-soothing beat accented by a myriad of carefully arranged synths, the song’s protagonist let’s his friend know it is ok for her to slow down and do what she needs to do to feel good.
Full quote from Cookie on “Feel Better”:
You hear so much about the cliches of men in Hollywood taking advantage of starry-eyed transplants that you almost think you’ll be numb, or at the least, unsurprised when you see it first hand. But when I witnessed it up close for the first time it had a pretty profound effect on me. In other words it made me really sad. I became invested in the story of this woman and wanted to trace things back to the start for her… when her aspirations fuelled a very courageous leap of faith. She is one of the most courageous people I know and this song is my way of reminding her of that and of the chimerical nature of chasing a dream and that despite what the manipulative fiends of this weird city say, it is ok to slow down and do what you need to do to feel good.
Of course the only thing weirder than LA is the year 2020, which has re-contextualised everything. The song has become a makeshift mantra… it’s important to recognise when, even if only for a moment, we feel better.
For the video, the band has composed a moment that offers solace on an isolated beach. We’re given an aerial view of a lone woman exploring the gentle break, sandy beach, and towering bluffs along the Pacific, creating a perfect environment for finding peace in difficult times; something we can all use in a tumultuous 2020. It’s a visual that embodies the make-shift moniker of “For the moment, I feel better” on which the song’s reassuring chorus is built.
Adam Winn, the band’s co-founder and drummer, offers this quote regarding the video:
It’s just what I was seeing whenever I closed my eyes and listened to the song… Someone running free in a beautiful location, releasing their emotions, leaving it all behind, feeling better… and my wonderful wife and best bud were kind enough to give it a whirl.
