Swell (band)
Encyclopedia
Swell is an indie rock
band formed in San Francisco in 1989 when David Freel (vocals/guitar) and Sean Kirkpatrick (drums) decided to record an album.
Freel, Kirkpatrick and Mark Signorelli (bass) spent the summer of 1990 busking on the streets of Europe, mainly in Spain. They returned to the States in time to pick up a support slot for Mazzy Star
at San Francisco's I-Beam
. But before they even played this first US show, Signorelli moved to New York City and passed bass duties on to Monte Vallier, and John Dettman-Lytle had joined as a second guitarist.
This configuration toured around California during the fall of 1990. By early 1991 their booking agent in Belgium was calling them back to Europe to play shows in France, Germany and the Benelux.
That same year they recorded a second album, ...Well?, which was released in February 1992, also on the pSychoSpecificMusic label. Though Dettman left the band soon after, Freel, Kirkpatrick, and Vallier carried on, receiving an offer from Def American to give ...Well? a wider release one year after its first issue.
Adding guitarist Tom Hays following the sojourn of Pete Vogl on guitar, Swell kept up a heavy touring schedule of Europe and the US. They began recording their third album, 41, in 1992. It was released by American in November 1993. In 1993 Niko Wenner (Oxbow
, Jellyfish
) replaced Hays, and toured with the band on guitar, backing vocals, and keyboard through 2003. Subsequent albums include 1997's Too Many Days Without Thinking and 1998's For All the Beautiful People. The latter album included Wenner on guitar and backing vocals, and Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Laika, Spleen) on drums.
Swell also toured Europe again in 2004 and played shows in Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Spain (Primavera Sound Festival
) and in France. The tour band consisted of Mat Mathews on drums, Greg Baldzikowski (keyboards and guitars), Doran Bastin (bass) and David Freel (vox, acoustic guitar).
After three years of silence David Freel started recording new songs in spring 2007. Assisted by Nick Lucero (ex-Qotsa) on drums. The new album "South of the rain and the snow" was released on the 12th December 2007 on Freel's own label 'Psycho Specific Music', together with 'The lost album', a 9 track compilation of rarities from the 1995 - 1997 era.
Both records are also released by the French label Talitres in 2008. Swell toured Europe in October/November 2008. The band plays dates in France, Austria, England, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Belgium where the tour ends on the 26th November with an extra show in Heist-Op-Den-Berg. David Freel's sidekicks on this tour were Ron Burns (drums) and Brian Mumford (guitar & fx).
In march 2009 David Freel releases the album "Be My Weapon", not using the name 'Swell' for the first time.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in San Francisco in 1989 when David Freel (vocals/guitar) and Sean Kirkpatrick (drums) decided to record an album.
History
The band recorded a self-titled debut album and released it on Freel's own pSychoSpecific label in April 1990. Swell's influences range from 80's post punk bands, Pink Floyd to folk, noise pop and Ennio Morricone film scores.Freel, Kirkpatrick and Mark Signorelli (bass) spent the summer of 1990 busking on the streets of Europe, mainly in Spain. They returned to the States in time to pick up a support slot for Mazzy Star
Mazzy Star
Mazzy Star is an American alternative rock band formed in Santa Monica, California, in 1989 from the group Opal, a collaboration of guitarist David Roback and bassist Kendra Smith...
at San Francisco's I-Beam
I-Beam (nightclub)
The I-Beam was a popular nightclub in San Francisco that was located in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood at 1748 Haight Street from October 1977 to July 1994.-Opening of the I-Beam:...
. But before they even played this first US show, Signorelli moved to New York City and passed bass duties on to Monte Vallier, and John Dettman-Lytle had joined as a second guitarist.
This configuration toured around California during the fall of 1990. By early 1991 their booking agent in Belgium was calling them back to Europe to play shows in France, Germany and the Benelux.
That same year they recorded a second album, ...Well?, which was released in February 1992, also on the pSychoSpecificMusic label. Though Dettman left the band soon after, Freel, Kirkpatrick, and Vallier carried on, receiving an offer from Def American to give ...Well? a wider release one year after its first issue.
Adding guitarist Tom Hays following the sojourn of Pete Vogl on guitar, Swell kept up a heavy touring schedule of Europe and the US. They began recording their third album, 41, in 1992. It was released by American in November 1993. In 1993 Niko Wenner (Oxbow
Oxbow (band)
Oxbow is a long-lived Avant-Garde band out of San Francisco, California notable for a unique sound. Oxbow plays a blend of Noise rock, Avant-garde jazz, Musique concrète , and Blues, creating soundscapes caustic, or plangent, with overtones of paranoia, revulsion, exaltation.-Current line-up:*Dan...
, Jellyfish
Jellyfish (band)
Jellyfish were a power pop band from San Francisco. It formed after Beatnik Beatch broke up in 1989. The core members were drummer/singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Roger Joseph Manning, Jr...
) replaced Hays, and toured with the band on guitar, backing vocals, and keyboard through 2003. Subsequent albums include 1997's Too Many Days Without Thinking and 1998's For All the Beautiful People. The latter album included Wenner on guitar and backing vocals, and Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Laika, Spleen) on drums.
Swell / Be My Weapon
Everybody Wants to Know, more a Freel solo album than anything else, appeared in spring 2001. Whenever you're ready- recorded with Sean Kirkpatrick - and the compilation Bastards and rarities both appeared in 2003. Early 2004 Swell toured the States for the first time in 6 years.Swell also toured Europe again in 2004 and played shows in Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Spain (Primavera Sound Festival
Primavera Sound Festival
San Miguel Primavera Sound, commonly known as Primavera Sound or simply Primavera, is an annual music festival which takes place in Barcelona, Spain in late May and, in some years, early June...
) and in France. The tour band consisted of Mat Mathews on drums, Greg Baldzikowski (keyboards and guitars), Doran Bastin (bass) and David Freel (vox, acoustic guitar).
After three years of silence David Freel started recording new songs in spring 2007. Assisted by Nick Lucero (ex-Qotsa) on drums. The new album "South of the rain and the snow" was released on the 12th December 2007 on Freel's own label 'Psycho Specific Music', together with 'The lost album', a 9 track compilation of rarities from the 1995 - 1997 era.
Both records are also released by the French label Talitres in 2008. Swell toured Europe in October/November 2008. The band plays dates in France, Austria, England, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Belgium where the tour ends on the 26th November with an extra show in Heist-Op-Den-Berg. David Freel's sidekicks on this tour were Ron Burns (drums) and Brian Mumford (guitar & fx).
In march 2009 David Freel releases the album "Be My Weapon", not using the name 'Swell' for the first time.
Discography
- Swell (1990) pSycho-sPecific
- ...Well? (1993) Def American
- 41 (1994) American (US)/Beggars (EU)
- Too Many Days Without Thinking (1997) Beggars Banquet RecordsBeggars Banquet RecordsBeggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
- For All the Beautiful People (1998) Beggars Banquet Records
- Feed (2000) Beggars Banquet Records
- Everybody Wants to Know (2001) Beggars Banquet Records
- Bastards and Rarities 1989-1994 (compilation) (2003) Badman Recording Co
- Whenever You're Ready (2003) Beggars Banquet Records/Badman Recording Co
- South of the Rain and Snow (2007) pSychosPecificMusic / Talitres
- The Lost Album (compilation) (2007) pSychosPecificMusic / Talitres
- Be My Weapon (2009) pSychosPecificMusic