The Head And The Heart have released “The Swimming Song,” a new cover of Loudon Wainwright III’s 1973 track. The recording features Scott McMicken of Dr. Dog and is available now for streaming and download.
The song has long been part of the band’s history. In its early Seattle days, the group said time between shows, rehearsals and work often led to trips to Lake Washington or Rattlesnake Lake, with friends, food and music packed into the car. Wainwright’s “The Swimming Song” repeatedly found its way onto those drives. “There’s something about the song’s simple melody and plainspoken honesty that made the sunlight across the water feel almost tangible,” the band said. Years later, The Head And The Heart returned to the song for its own recording with McMicken.
The single arrives during The Head And The Heart’s 15th Anniversary Tour, which has featured performances of the band’s RIAA Platinum self-titled debut in full at venues across the United States. The album includes “Down in the Valley” and “Rivers and Roads.” The anniversary run opened with a Benaroya Hall performance alongside the Seattle Symphony and later included two sold-out nights at Red Rocks. The tour concludes in August with stops in Costa Mesa, Napa, Saratoga and Sandy, Utah. After a short break, the band is scheduled to join Brandi Carlile for another run of dates in September.
The Head And The Heart released their sixth studio album, Aperture, on May 9, 2025 through Verve Forecast. The album was the band’s first self-produced full-length since The Head And The Heart in 2011 and followed 2022’s Every Shade of Blue. On February 27, 2026, the group released the seven-track Ghosts In The Machinery, featuring alternate versions of material from Aperture and a piano version of “Beg, Steal, Borrow.” The Aperture single “Arrow” also reached No. 1 at Alternative radio after a 30-week climb and spent more than 20 weeks on the Adult Top 40 radio chart.
Listen to The Head And The Heart’s cover of “The Swimming Song” here.
