Western Australia’s Salt Tree release new EP, Swell and kick off a tour that will bring them to our fair shores.

By Graeme Smith

Australia and the sport of surfing go hand in hand, and Tom and Nath, the two halves of Salt Tree, very much fit into that stereotype. Their love of the ocean, as well as the other natural landscapes that Oz has to offer, has inspired their new six-track EP, Swell.

As well as looking outwards at the scenery, Swell looks inwards, ruminating on topics such as mental health, curiosity and addiction, and noticing the connections between our inner worlds and our surroundings.

The EP starts in a gentle, reflective style through the acoustic folk of Take My Hand. A sense of tentative romance is infused in its storytelling lyrics. I’ll Be Here paints a vivid picture with its rousing indie folk before new single We Were Young proves a highlight thanks to its heady mix of wistful nostalgia and life-affirming carpe diem.

The EP’s second half gives us the introspective Follow Me in the Ocean, the delicate Garden and closer Dreaming of a Future. It ends things in reluctantly hopeful style with a vivid tale of getting lost in nature and lost in thought.

With their new EP, Salt Tree give us a familiar sound made powerful through lyrics that have plenty to say. Their use of natural imagery brings each of its six stories beautifully to life.

The pair have embarked on a tour of Australia, Europe and the UK. The Europe leg starts on 8 November 2024 in Cologne, Germany before arriving in the UK on 21 November. The nearest date to here is Manchester at Disorder on 22 November. Tickets are available for all dates here.

Swell was self-written, produced and mixed by Salt Tree in their bedroom studio. It’s out now and you can give it a listen below.