'90s Dublin pop band SWIM reunites for upcoming album

Two original members of '90s Dublin pop band SWIM have reunited to record their upcoming album NIGHTSTOCK.

After more than three decades apart, vocalist Joe Reilly and composer John McCrea reconnected in 2025 with the intention of creating and releasing new material. According to a statement, Reilly sought freedom to express himself through lyricism while McCrea endeavoured to break from the norm of conventional song structure.

NIGHTSTOCK is the product of the duo's new experimental approach to songwriting. The seven tracks on the album were recorded in just a few sessions with Reilly, McCrea and producer Ger McDonnell, whose credits include U2, Dido, Def Leppard and more.

'Tony's House,' the first single from the album, is set to be released this Friday, July 4, with a music video directed by Cork videographer George Hogan. Reilly said the concepts for 'Tony's House' came in a stroke of inspiration while reading an Edward Hopper art book in between recording sessions.

“During the recording sessions for NIGHTSTOCK, the band were experiencing some difficulty with one of the longer pieces on the album and decided to take a break. I was flicking through 'The Paintings of Edward Hopper' and the painting 'Tony’s House' in particular caught my imagination," Reilly said.

"Within half an hour, I had come up with the lyrics for 'Tony’s House,' the song. Having shown the lyrics to John, the music was quickly composed and the accompanying keyboard track was recorded in one take. The vocals were put down in a few passes, and so 'Tony’s House' appeared within a matter of hours. Ger then added his usual studio magic, et voilà.”

SWIM were first formed in 1988 with their freshman record, Sundrive Road, produced by Steely Dan's Gary Katz. After the release of Sundrive Road, the band toured with the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Cher. They disbanded in 1991 due to band members' reluctance to continue touring.

In 2020, Hot Press included SWIM on a list of "'90s Irish bands that could have been massive."

The entirety of NIGHTSTOCK will be released August 14 at the Kilkenny Arts Festival. The band currently have no plans to play live.