Animals That Swim

Pre-dating Britpop, London’s Animals That Swim formed in 1989 and achieved critical and fan acclaim for their matter-of-fact songwriting and slightly psychedelic and chilled out indie pop tunes. The band was formed Hank Starrs (vocals/drums), Hugh Barker (guitar) and Al Barker (guitar/keyboards) plus trumpeter Del Crabtree and bass player Terry De Castro (also a member of Cinerama and The Wedding Present).

Singles ‘King Beer’ and ‘Roy’ (a surreal imagined conversation with Roy Orbinson!) were popular in 1992 and 1993 respectively, making a name for Animals That Swim with Starrs’ dramatic yet slice-of-life vocals and Crabtree’s almost free form trumpet playing. Both those singles featured on their debut album ‘Workshy’, first released in 1994, which was included in the top 15 of NME’s best albums of the year, and reissued in 2017 via One Little Independent, who also released the band’s highly acclaimed follow-up record ‘I Was the King, I Really Was the King’. The band’s singles featured regularly in the Indie Charts Top Ten.

Vocalist and drummer Hank Starrs said: “Making an album is a great feeling and this was our first, but we were sure it would turn out well. I think, in the end, we were just thrilled that we were making it at all, trying to create something original, something interesting and just enjoying the process of writing and recording together. And it did turn out well. Listening now, it doesn’t sound like it’s been 22 years since we recorded it. It sounds fantastic.”

The London based band released three albums and a ‘Best Of’ compilation between 1994 and 2001. Known for their idiosyncratic lyrics, distinct lead vocals, driving jangly guitars, swirling keyboards and signature trumpet, fans and critics loved them as an alternative to the ever-encroaching tide of Brit Pop.