Swimming Bell—the ethereal indie-folk project of LA-based songwriter Katie Schottland—dives back into dreamy depths with the new five-track EP Somnia, out May 16 on Perpetual Doom. Produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Kurt Vile, Cat Power), Somnia unfolds like an underwater reverie: buoyant melodies drift in suspended slow-motion, while pulsing, percussion-driven currents carry you through shimmering soundscapes.
Schottland envisioned this record as a refuge from reality’s weight. “I wanted it to feel like sinking into water—soft, hypnotic, and transportive,” she explains. Embracing Schnapf’s knack for texture, she layers kick drums and hand percussion under gauzy guitars and airy vocals, creating movement that feels both grounding and dreamlike. Standout single “95 at Night” tethers the EP to Schottland’s past—carrying memories of home even as she forges new worlds.
With Somnia, Swimming Bell cements Schottland’s reputation for crafting immersive, otherworldly folk-pop. Don’t miss her EP release show on May 23 at Oblivion in Los Angeles, where these weightless waves of sound will wash over you live.