A Cause In Distress “Dead Swans”

A Cause In Distress, the enigmatic Southend duo making waves in the experimental indie music scene, unveil their debut album, ‘In Search of Spring,’ on November 3rd, 2023, via Cool Thing Records. This eagerly awaited debut promises an eclectic musical journey inspired by the likes of Boards of Canada, Nine Inch Nails, The Smile, and Fugazi.

‘In Search of Spring’ marks the culmination of A Cause In Distress’ musical evolution, building on the acclaim they received for earlier singles, which caught the attention of BBC 6 Music (Steve Lamacq), Radio X (John Kennedy), and Absolute Radio (Frank Skinner).

The album showcases the band’s artistic versatility, evoking a wide spectrum of emotions and euphoria reminiscent of Depeche Mode’s iconic Violator era, with subtle hints of Tool’s depth and the rhythmic angularity reminiscent of Joy Division.

Guiding the album’s development is the esteemed producer Rees Broomfield, a pivotal figure in the Cool Thing Records collaborative community, known for his work with artists like Beckie Margaret, Indian Queens, and BLAB. Broomfield’s production has solidified A Cause In Distress as an intriguing and unique force in modern music, seamlessly blending soulful melodies, hypnotic soundscapes, angst and an ever-evolving artistic palette.

Speaking on the album, frontman Liam Watkins states:

“Always looking forwards toward a metaphorical Spring, despite the negative Winter that we can live with. The mind can mend, the ice will thaw, and the flowers will bend towards the sun once more.”

“Dead Swans uses the imagery of a beautiful dead swan, no longer able to move but still calmly flowing with the current of the lake as it moves down-stream. I wanted to use this as an analogy for how, although life always keeps moving forwards and we can look content, calm, and graceful from someone else’s outside viewpoint, we can feel like our lives are stuck in a rut and that no progress towards our own happiness or goals is being made, almost like a living death. The mantra “Don’t drift, don’t float” is about breaking the chain of just drifting through life and that we need to be aware of and cast aside toxic behaviours and negative coping mechanisms, to truly move forwards and become the person we know we can all be.” – Liam Watkins

-Official bio