DOG SWIM
We first reached out to Dog Swim back in October - before Near the Noise had even launched. It might seem like a random choice to spotlight a band we hadn’t yet seen live as our very first Artist of the Month, but we were instantly hooked after stumbling across their performances on TikTok.
Fast forward a few months and a live show at The Grand Social later, and we knew we were right. Freya, Ollie, Alex and Mel have something genuinely exciting to add to the scene right now.
While Dog Swim haven’t officially released a track yet, anyone who’s caught them live will understand why they’ve earned the title of our first Artist of the Month, and why the hype around them is building so quickly.
We caught up with the four-piece back in December and again recently for our photo shoot to talk beginnings, influences and what’s next.
MEET THE BAND
Made up of Freya on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Ollie on lead guitar (and occasional vocals), Alex on bass and Mel on drums, the band met through college and mutual friends.
What started as a solo project for Freya quickly grew into something bigger. Bringing the others in as session musicians turned into a connection that felt impossible to ignore. Ollie mentioned that knowing Mel would be involved made him even more keen to join, having previously played in another band together and already sharing that chemistry.
Freya knew from the first practice that she wanted the guys to become permanent members, while the others summed it up simply: “when you know, you know.”
Individually, they’re all talented musicians in their own right but together, they feel like a band that’s clicked at exactly the right moment.
THEIR SOUND
Dog Swim don’t box themselves into one sound. Some tracks are soft and understated, others lean into heavier, raw grunge textures.
Their writing is a collaborative process, with each member bringing different ideas and influences into the room. Growing up on different kinds of music has naturally shaped their genre blending approach - each song tends to take on its own identity.
Their influences range from Wolf Alice and Paolo Nutini to Slow Pulp, which reflects the balance between indie delicacy and gritty rock energy that runs through their live sets.
THE SCENE
When talking about the local scene, the band were quick to highlight just how much talent is coming out of Ireland right now. They gave shoutouts to Ember, Avenue 68 and For Nina, who they played their first gig with.
They recently supported Florence Road on their November/December Irish tour, describing them as “new, exciting and full of joy” - a sentiment that matched the energy of fans keen to discover new music.
The tour brought a wave of love from listeners, with plenty of comments asking them to come back to Belfast in particular, which we’d absolutely love to see. The band are keen to play more shows across Ireland and mentioned Belfast, Cork and Galway as cities they’d love to hit next.
As for dream venues, they already feel lucky to have supported The Academic at the Olympia, marking one of their biggest career highlights so far.
FUTURE RELEASES
While they’re constantly working on new music, the band’s main focus right now is staying organic and gaining as much live experience as possible. Having only been together for just over a year, they want to make sure they’re completely happy with what they release and able to own who they are as a young band within the industry.
From Near the Noise’s point of view, they’re doing something right by building momentum before dropping official releases. Their unreleased track Just Slow Down has already gained serious traction online, with fans begging to hear it on Spotify. We were also impressed by Beautiful Fool, the first song they ever wrote together, when we caught them live.
OUR VERDICT
From discovering Dog Swim on TikTok to spending time with them in person, it’s clear that this is a band with something special brewing.
They’re hugely talented individually, but it’s their chemistry together that really stands out. On top of that, they’re some of the nicest people we’ve met in the industry. They remain upbeat, grateful and genuinely excited about what’s ahead.
We recommend catching them live now - because they’re exactly the type of band you’ll see in a small venue and later get to say, “I saw them before they blew up.”
