Drawing influence from a diverse spectrum of artists, Toronto-based SWiiMS blends elements of ’80s new wave, ’90s shoegaze, indie rock, brit pop and dream pop together to arrive at a sound that is all their own. Singer Mai Diaz Langou and guitarist Colin Thompson started writing songs together in late 2018, uniting her elegant poetry, textured melodies and languid voice with his fuzzy, jangly, swirling guitar tones. Bassist Cian O’Ruanaidh joined shortly after, bringing a fresh voice, unique influences and hooky bass lines to the group.

Love, loss, loneliness, self-isolation, beauty, joy, nostalgia and remembrance: Into The Blue Night, was inspired by bits of all of these emotions and how they intersected during the pandemic. Produced by Josh Korody, this is their first full-length album.

Opening track, “In Puzzles,” serves as an uplifting introduction and encapsulates the sense of freedom, lightness and excitement in a blossoming romance. It’s optimistic, with the euphoric guitar riff hitting you right in the heart, the verses wrapping you in a cozy blanket and the chorus feeling like levitation. Stefan Loebus was enlisted as the drummer, offering a blast of energy.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically? 

This song is very special to us. We chose it both as an opener for the album and as our second single because it’s such a hope filled anthem. In terms of visualizing the lyrics into the video, we are telling a story of falling in love and diving in headfirst without thinking of any consequences – which is very freeing but risky at the same time.

2.What was the inspiration behind this video(visuals, storyline, etc.)? 

We came up with the concept of someone’s attempts at courting a new lover being rebuffed and wanted to use something as the storyboard of their tale.  We decided that the shirt they were wearing would make a nice billboard for their failed attempts, with each gift being offered ending up smashed into pieces on the shirt.  The thought of telling the story in reverse was the final addition, from completely ruined to fresh and hopeful.  A story in rewind. 

3.What was the process of making this video?

We love being a hands on DIY band when it comes to our visuals.  Both Mai and Cian are very creative in the visual space and that allows us to keep the creative vision in the band.  Mai’s partner is a very talented photographer and has been helping us capture and edit our vision on film.   We like to try and make things visually interesting and use our city and its hidden spaces as the backdrop.