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Joshua Mainnie is a Scottish electronic music producer and a DJ. He usually goes by his stage name Barry Can't Swim. Mainnie has been making since he was nine years old but professionally released music in July 2021. His debut EP, Amor Fati, was released in 2021. He later released his debut album, When Will We Land?, on October 20, 2023.
Barry may be a new DJ to the scene but he has garnered a few awards and nominations. His 2023 album is being shortlisted for the 2024 Mercury Prize. He also nominated for the Best Dance Act at the Brit Awards in 2024.
Barry Can't Swim has been real quiet since the beginning of 2025, until yesterday. He released his latest single for the year called The Person You’d Like To Be. You can find the single on his YouTube channel with the same name.
More details about Barry Can't Swim's music career
As mentioned, Mainnie started releasing music in 2021. However, the album which immediately brought the limelight on him was his 2023 debut album, When Will We Land? which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2024. Not just that, the album also went on to steal spot number 12 in the UK Albums Charts. To top it off, the album also won BBC Radio 1's award for "Best Dance Album."
Barry's work has been highly praised in the past. Magazines such as Clash and PopMatters called his work,
"varied, zeitgeisty and just plain fun" - according to Clash.
While PopMatters said his When Will We Land? album is,
"Tour-de-force of 11 tracks that are so perfectly edited and composed that not a single note is wasted."
Between 2023 and 2024, Barry Can't Swim has been collecting awards and recognition. The awards include:
- DJ Mag 'Breakthrough Producer' award in December 2023.
- BBC Radio 1 Dance Award for 'Best Album' in February 2024.
Last year, Mainnie has played in three sold-out shows in London. This year, he will be headlining another music festival known as "All Points East" in August. You can also expect to see other artists such as Shygirl, Confidence Man, RAYE, Salute, Leon Vynehall, ATRIP, DJ Heartstring, The Maccabees and more at the event.
You can also see Barry Can't Swim at another festival on August 24, which is the Bristol’s Forwards Festival. He will be performing alongside big international artists such as Jorja Smith, Doechii, and Ezra Collective.
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Mainnie is planning to go on a US tour this year. His North America Tour 2025 will begin from April 18, in New York at Terminal 5. His last show for the tour will be at Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California on May 3, 2025.
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