Squirrel Flower Debut “I Was Born Swimming”

Squirrel Flower AKA: Ella O’Connor Williams shares video for "I Was Born Swimming"
Squirrel Flower "I Was Born Swimming"

Squirrel Flower AKA: Ella O’Connor Williams, recently announced I Was Born Swimming, her debut album, out January 31st via Polyvinyl/Full Time Hobby. a spring North American tour, and presents the lead single/video, “Red Shoulder.” The album’s title was inspired by Williams’ birth on August 11th 1996. The album was tracked live, with few overdubs, at The Rare Book Room Studio in New York City with producer Gabe Wax (Adrienne Lenker, Palehound, Cass McCombs). The musicians were selected by Wax. Ahead of the album’s release, Squirrel Flower has shared a video for the title-track.

The sounds expand and contract over diverse moods, cutting loose on the heavier riffs of “Red Shoulder.” “‘Red Shoulder’ is a song about destabilization and dissociation,” explains Williams. “Something soft and tender becomes warped and sinister, turning into sensory overload and confusion. How can something so lovely turn painful and claustrophobic? The song ends with a heavy and visceral guitar solo, attempting to reground what went awry.”

Williams comes from a deep-rooted musical family tree. Her grandparents were classical musicians who lived in the Gate Hill Co-op, an artistic cooperative from upstate New York that grew out of Black Mountain College. Ella’s father, Jesse Williams, spent most of his life as a touring jazz and blues performer and educator, and lends his bass playing to the album (listen for his smooth solo on “Headlights”). Growing up in a family of hard working musicians fostered a love of music and started Williams down her own musical path. As a child, Williams adopted the alter ego of Squirrel Flower. A couple years later, she began singing with the Boston Children’s Chorus while studying music theory and teaching herself to play the guitar. As a teen, she discovered the Boston DIY and folk music scenes and began writing, recording, and performing her own songs, now returning to the name Squirrel Flower as her chosen moniker. By the time Williams had begun performing live, recording and touring, she was already well on her way to the signature artful songcraft heard on I Was Born Swimming.

Squirrel Flower
I Was Born Swimming
Tracklisting

1. I-80
2. Red Shoulder
3. Slapback
4. Eight Hours
5. Headlights
6. Honey, Oh Honey!
7. Seasonal Affective Disorder
8. Home
9. Streetlight Blues
10. Rush
11. Belly Of The City
12. I Was Born Swimming

Squirrel Flower Tour Dates:
Thu. Oct. 24 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle %
Fri. Oct. 25 – Columbus, OH @ Big Room Bar %
Sat. Oct. 26 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s %
Sun. Oct. 27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s %
Mon. Oct. 28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right %
Tue. Jan. 28 – London, UK @ The Islington
Fri. March 6 – Middletown, CT @ Mac 650 Art Gallery &
Sat. March 7 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott &
Wed. March 11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade &
Thu. March 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits &
Sat. March 13 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd &
Mon. March 23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge *
Wed. March 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
Thu. March 26 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill *
Sat. March 28 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza *
Sun. March 29 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge *
Tue. March 31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
Thu. April 2 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
Mon. April 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
Tue. April 7 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas *
Wed. April 8 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s *
Fri. April 10 – Toronto, ON @ Drake Hotel &
Sat. April 11 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo &

% = w/ Loving
*= w/ Why Bonnie
& = w/ Cedric Noel

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