Someone Who Isn’t Me

Synthpop charmers, gender stereotype busters, queer and feminism rights advocates. Athens-based duo, Someone Who Isn’t Me (also known as S.W.I.M.), write songs about lives that don’t meet the heteronormative ideal. However, Marilena Orfanou (synths- composer and DJ), and Maria Hatzakou (drums- awarded director and film producer) is not “yet another electro pop band playing the feminism card”.

They portray their own feelings and experiences with a mutual vision to create a feeling of community for queer and marginalized people. With their love for analogue sounds, 80s drum rhythms and catchy guitars, they create songs that are simple and direct, yet they summarize beautifully what the band stand for: feminism, humanity, criticism of capitalist, and uniformed society.

S.W.I.M.’s first single, “Never Find It”, was written for the closing credits of Athina Rachel Tsangari’s2015 feature “Chevalier” (Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival). Their music videos, including “Gomenaki” and “Dance With You”, have been awarded at festivals like IndieMemphis and Cannes (Best Music Video Award at the Cannes World Film Festival).

Beyond their original releases, they’ve also ventured into film scoring, earning accolades for their work on projects like “Amygdala”, directed by Maria Hatzakou (best original Music score Award at the 44th Drama International Film Festival), “7Hz” (their tribute to the renowned Greek composer Vangelis) and “Pigeons Are Dying When The City’s On Fire”. In May 2024, their second album, the nine-track “Heartbraker”, teases a bouncy yet dramatic new wave style, exploring themes of love and loss, in the band’s most thoughtful and heartfelt statement yet.

Photo credits: Evgenia Bourzoukou.

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