Katrina Swift is a Bath-based singer/songwriter, musician and creative mastermind behind the emerging dream pop project Lilac Haze. Although she has a background performing across the States and Europe fronting ensembles and orchestras with a classically trained, hauntingly gorgeous vocal, Lilac Haze is influenced by The Cure, All About Eve, Eva Cassidy, Fleetwood Mac, and others, as she combines atmospheric and ethereal textures with a sense of nostalgic romance.
Released a few short weeks ago. Swift’s Calum Wotherspoon-produced debut single “The Ghost That I Once Knew”/”Lilac Haze” features Nightswimming’s Sam Allan (guitar) and Torin Moore (drums) as her backing band. The A-side “The Ghost I Once Knew” is a slow-burning and gorgeous track built around Swift’s soaring vocal and gauzy, shoegazer-like guitar textures that recalls Souvlaki-era Slowdive. The B-side “Lilac Haze” is brooding track that features delicate strings, ethereal synths and dramatic drumming paired with Swift’s achingly tender delivery expressing longing and heartache. Both tracks serve as a breathtakingly beautiful yet self-assured debut.
“In December 2021, I wrote ‘Ghost’ after a period of self-reflection during a time when I felt unsure and lost in my new surroundings. It’s a reflection of the loss of innocence as we mature… a farewell to your old self. ‘Lilac Haze’ however is a song written for anyone who has been affected by loved ones lost to Alzheimer’s and Dementia,” Swift says of both tracks.
Discover more from The Joy of Violent Movement
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.