"Fear of Drowning" was British Sea Power's very first release. It was a self-financed single issued on their own Golden Chariot label, and mainly sold at concerts. Only 1,000 CD copies were pressed and these became the most collectable, and thus valuable, release in the band's back catalogue, often fetching over £50 on eBay. The title track deals with the idea of drowning in the sea of information that is the modern world, whilst the b-side deals with more carnal matters. Both tracks were later re-recorded for the band's debut album, The Decline of British Sea Power.