It can be said with no hesitation that Bathing Suits are (IMO) the most exciting band in Leeds. In a local scene saturated with post-punk and a thriving local electronic community, Bathing Suits have taken ingredients of each and made their own sonic dish – and it’s best served hot.
My first time watching Bathing Suits was at Leeds’ DIY venue, Mabgate Bleach, in April 2024. Ran by promotors Let Leeds Shake, the electro-noise quartet supported Morgan Noise, and I distinctly remember dancing so much I was practically drenched in sweat. Whilst this may be a slightly TMI image, it’s needed to explicitly convey the effect of Bathing Suits’ mix of post-punk guitars and thumping dance beats. Following in the footsteps if their headliner, Bathing Suits have quickly solidified themselves in The Windmill Brixton’s catalogue of exciting new artists. Since 2024 they’ve gone from strength to strength, touring up and down the country and bringing their twerkathon sound wherever they go.
‘I Can Be A Freak’ follows the release of ‘Lousy Havoc/Relay’ released in January. Recorded with resident Leeds/Berlin DJ and producer Benny Howell, AKA DJ Subaru, ‘I Can Be A Freak’ embodies Bathing Suits ethos – “Always dancey. Always loud. Always sexy.”
The track repurposes Estelle’s ‘Freak’ and makes an impact form its first thumping bass beats. The band’s vocalist/live drum machine operator Freyja Blevins shares the following about ‘I Can Be A Freak’:
“‘I Can Be A Freak’ came to me fast. It’s an energetic, noisy song about being downright nasty and weird (the meaning reinvents itself constantly). I wrote it using synthesisers for the melodies and sampling Freak by Estelle (love her and love that song) before bringing it to the band and developing it together. After playing this song together for monthsss we brang it to the studio with the best DJ and producer ever DJ Subaru who produced our previous single. #keepitfreaky.”
What I enjoyed most from the studio version of ‘I Can Be A Freak’ was the ability to admire the individual instrumentalization of Blevins, Hughes, Mulholland and Dickinson, rather than dancing in a sweaty gig room (although they are an equally enjoyable experience). The strong bassline from Elise Hughes glues the funk feel and paired with the textured samples, the track commands you to dance.
It should be put down on record that Blevins is such an amazing show woman, and her theatricality and confidence has translated so well on record. The lyrics are signature Bathing Suits, sensual yet illustrative which can catch you off guard amidst the ‘I Can Be A Freak’ of it all. There’s then an unexpected guitar that cuts through the song’s third act, so even if your legs are tired from dancing, you have no choice but to move until the last drum machine beat.
Off the back of their first EU shows in in northern France and a sold-out headline at Dublin’s Workmans Club, Bathing Suits have solidified their future stardom with ‘I Can Be A Freak’.
Upcoming live dates:
24 August -Liverpool, Riot Days Fest
29 August – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club, (w/Kassie Krut)
9 September – Brighton, Green Door Store (w/ Food House)
25 September – Manchester, Deaf institute
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