Liverpool indie rock duo, King Hannah has announced their sophomore LP, Big Swimmer, for May 31st via the venerable City Slang Records produced by Ali Chant (Aldous Harding, PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius). Their first album since 2021’s I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me, now they are back with the title track featuring special guest Sharon Van Etten. On “Big Swimmer” Merricks’ voice stretches out, courageous while intertwining with Van Etten’s voice effortlessly. Having a beloved hero offer her endorsement and co-sign to this rising band’s music truly moved the duo. “I think Sharon just remembers what it’s like to be a new artist,” Whittle remarks on Van Etten lending her talents to the young band. Van Etten’s generosity and support prove to emphasize “Big Swimmer”‘s call to keep swimming towards the waters that call to you. Big Swimmer reflects on stories from their travels away from home, as the duo shared the stage with Kurt Vile, Kevin Morby, Thurston Moore, and festivals throughout Europe and North America. Particularly in America, Merrick and Whittle found themselves looking through their tour van window as a sort of screen, allowing for inspiration for their storytelling to come pouring in. “Because if you’re visiting a different country, it’s more like you’re witnessing someone’s life,” Merrick comments on the band’s experiences on the road in the States. Therein a balance of lightness and darkness melded together, as the band witnessed everyday delights, horrors and mundanities – this all against the backdrop of their dreams of performing their songs around the world coming true. Big Swimmer finds King Hannah on the other side of their first act with a newfound understanding of their sound, their strengths, their gratitude, and their vision for the future of the band’s music.

UPC: 4250506849368

King Hannah crafts a musical tapestry that seamlessly weaves between the serene depths of meditative pop and the expansive, sonorous landscapes brimming with darkness, wit, and wry humor. Merricks vocals, a smoky delight, imbue her words with profound weight and potency, complemented by the bluesy canvases Whittle masterfully paints beneath them. Their sound effortlessly transitions from moments of post-rock expansiveness to evoking the sensation of Springsteen straying onto a gritty side-street off his highway to freedom.

In recent times, the duo has graced stages alongside esteemed artists such as Kurt Vile, Thurston Moore, Kevin Morby, and DIIV, captivating audiences at festivals across Europe and North America including End of the Road, Green Man, Primavera Sound, and Fusion, among others. King Hannahs accolades include being hailed as Stereogums Band to Watch, The Guardians Ones to Watch, Pastes Best of Whats Next, and featured in DIY Magazines NEU segment, SPINs rising artists, and many more.

Tracklist:

1. Big Swimmer
2. New York, Let’s Do Nothing
3. The Mattress
4. Milk Boy (I Love You)
5. Suddenly, Your Hand
6. Somewhere Near El Paso
7. Lily Pad
8. Davey Says
9. Scully
10. This Wasn’t Intentional
11. John Prine On The Radio