Caswell finds strength in self-love on ‘Surface’ visual

South-London-born BRIT School alumna, Caswell crafts a flavour of neo-soul propelled through glimmering chutes of downtempo electronica, resulting in an elaborate forma of pop. She returns with the release of visual for the lead-single of the ‘Blindside’ EP – ‘Surface’ – mastered by Frank Arkwright (New Order, Blur, Coldplay) of Abbey Road Studios and partly mixed by Cenzo Townsend (a-ha, Bloc Party, Florence + The Machine).

The soloist grew up immersed in a myriad of musicality, with a punk-rocker turned vinyl dealer mother, in Tulse Hill, South London. Armed with her first microphone as a toddler, Caswell subsequently taught herself the piano and began writing music aged ten. Later in life, moving to coastal Suffolk, East Anglia, she siphoned early songwriting inspiration from some of the most distinctive, celebrated female vocalists of the last century; Kate Bush, Nina Simone and Erykah Badu, and cultivating a classification of her own.

With 2018, came deep-rooted support from BBC Introducing and endorsement from the PRS Foundation, from which she received the ‘Women Make Music’ grant, previously awarded to Laura Mvula, Marika Hackman and Let’s Eat Grandma – as well as securing a support slot on Arlissa’s UK tour. Caswell’s single ‘Dance Sober’ received a shout-out and sync on ITV’s This Morning. She was also slated as a highlight of Latitiude festival 2018, alongside acts like Wolf Alice and alt-J, on their website, where her performance was described as; ‘Underneath the stage’s new billowing ribboned canopy, the soulful sounds of Caswell are as precious as the Obelisk Stone.’

The director David Yorke talks a little about the concept of the new video; “Caswell and I discussed the concept very early on in the process, I wanted to make something very pure and explore environments in a different and unique way by bringing environment to life in the form of weird and wonderful creatures.”

Caswell expands; “Around the time I wrote this song I remember watching The OA on Netflix. In the show they had this powerful sequence of movements which was created as a way in which to break barriers down between worlds and ascend dimensions. When I first listened to the demos of Surface I would envisage similar movements and this was one of the main elements I wanted included in the video when me and David first discussed ideas.

And elaborates on the single; “Surface lyrically to me is about being able to reach your full potential by rising up from an emotionally dark place, and isn’t so much about romantic love as it is about self-love and the strength in connecting with others. The concept of the video mirrors this in that I am Mother Nature summoning her children/elements (a tree, stone and water), and we are one whole once united. The video starts with an extended intro of my ‘siren-song’ call that awakes them, and throughout the video they make their journey back to my side.”

Stream ‘Surface’ below.