When you are trying to do anything in life, sometimes you need a little push and some confidence. For indie pop due Sarah Versprille and Daniel Hindman of Pure Bathing Culture, Richard Swift was that encouraging voice. The pair became close with Swift over the years and with his passing in 2018, the duo decided to honor him in a special way.
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In 2009, before Pure Bathing Culture was born, Daniel and Sarah met Richard. They bonded and soon after, a friendship was formed. The pair even began to play in his band. After sharing their sound with Swift, they were invited to record with him in his studio. This is where Pure Bathing Culture recorded their first self-titled EP and their full-length album, “Moon Tides.”
Because of the impact Swift had on their lives, Sarah and Daniel decided to record their new EP “Carrido” just two months after his passing in the same studio they started off in. Being invited back to Swifts recording studio by his wife Shealynn was an offer they could not refuse.
So what is the meaning behind the title ‘Carrido?’
“Richard’s family brought his ashes home and placed them in the control room of the studio, in the chair at the console in front of the monitors, where Rich always sat during sessions. On the box his birth name could be seen simply written: RICARDO OCHOA,” Versprille explained. “As we were working I was doing something I often do, I started writing the same word over and over again and in this instance the word was RICARDO. As I wrote his name repeatedly it started to shift and soon it transformed. I started writing the word CARRIDO over and over again.”
She adds of its significance, “For us Carrido became a world where we could be with our friend again, a place where we could be together one more time doing what we love. It’s a place where we can make sense of the things that happen that feel tragic and inexplicably heartbreaking … it’s a place where we can go to find our way back to ourselves again,” says Sarah.
On this new EP, you will hear three new, original songs as well as a rendition of Swift’s “Would You?”
One of the original songs that will be featured is titled “Something Silver.”
“Something Silver is a song about fate and holding hope through the changing of seasons. In a lot of ways we’re writing about ourselves and our own process, poking fun at or even speaking sarcastically about the creative process at times; “keep playing and I’ll fade it/it’s long enough for the payment/intense and interesting/and always pretending it’s never ending”…we’re speaking about mortality or even just the end of an idea. But most of all it’s about committing to the belief that no matter what we have to go through it’s worth it to continue where our spirits lead us,” says Daniel.
“Carrido” will be released on July 3 – the two-year anniversary of Richard Swift’s death.
“Something Silver” is available for listening now down below:
Photo: Richard Swift
