LOS ANGELES, CA- flipturn have been on my radar for a couple of years now, ever since I spotted their name on the South by Southwest 2022 lineup. They were circled on my list of bands to check out, but I ultimately didn’t make it to the festival that year; partly due to lingering COVID concerns and partly due to timing. Still, I kept following their music, and their 2022 record Shadowglow became a regular listen for me.
Fast forward to January 24, 2025, when flipturn dropped Burnout Days. I’ll admit, I only dove into the album recently, prompted by a press note about a new single. And here’s where I have to give a cheeky “thank you” to Eleni Drake (and artist who I covered at this year’s SXSW) for being the reason I even realized flipturn had a new record out. Her stripped-down reinterpretation of “Swim Between Trees” is flipturn’s latest release, and it’s a beauty.
On Burnout Days, “Swim Between Trees” leans upbeat and propulsive, anchored in that indie-rock-meets-pop energy that flipturn pull off so well. Eleni’s version, however, takes the track in an entirely different direction; slowed down, treated more like a mid-tempo ballad, and dripping with a kind of quiet tenderness. Eleni’s delicate vocals enhance the song’s dreamy imagery, giving the lyrics (“My mind’s a river draped with leaves / And you’re still swimming through the trees”) room to breathe and resonate in a way that feels more intimate. The cover becomes less of a rework and more of a meditation, highlighting just how malleable a good song can be.
The thing is, I love both versions equally. The original thrives on movement and momentum, while Eleni’s take lingers in the emotional undertow. If anything, the contrast shows how strong flipturn’s songwriting is. It is versatile enough to shine whether delivered with indie-rock bite or hushed balladry.
While flipturn already command a dedicated following in the UK and beyond, it feels like American audiences would do well to lean in more closely. Burnout Days is stacked with atmospheric, introspective material, and if you’re a fan of indie rock with a sprinkle of pop sheen, these guys are very much worth your time.
Until then, I’ll have both versions of “Swim Between Trees” on repeat.
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Follow Eleni Drake on Facebook and Instagram.
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flipturn 2025 Tour Dates:
Nov 1 – London Calling, Amsterdam Nov 3 – Gretchen, Berlin Nov 4 – Luxor, Cologne
Nov 5 – La Maroquinerie, Paris Nov 7 – Academy 2, Manchester Nov 8 – Classic Grand, Glasgow Nov 10 – Empire Music Hall, Belfast Nov 11 – Button Factory, Dublin Nov 13 – The Fleece, Bristol Nov 14 – Kentish Town Forum, London Nov 15 – Live At Leeds, Leeds
Nov 29 – Rolling Sets, Tweed Heads, Australia Dec 3 – The Brightside, Brisbane, Australia Dec 4 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne, Australia Dec 5 – The Metro Theatre, Sydney, Australia Dec 6 – Rolling Sets, Central Coast, Australia
Eleni Drake 2025 Tour Dates: *supporting Will Varley
Sep 29 – The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth* Sep 30 – The Old Bell Hotel, Derby* Oct 1 – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich* Oct 2 – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham* Oct 3 – Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate* Oct 13 – Nachtleben, Frankfurt* Oct 15 – Dynamo, Zurich* Oct 16 – Kranhalle at Freierwerk, Munich*
Oct 17 – B72, Vienna* Oct 18 – Klub Varšava, Prague* Oct 21 – Quasimodo, Berlin* Oct 22 – Nochtspeicher, Hamburg* Oct 23 – Helios 37, Cologne*
