As one of the finest bands from the so-called shoegaze scene in the mid ’90s, their music is often described as a cross between British ethereal bands such as Ride, Lush, and My Bloody Valentine, and Motor City rock and roll classics like the Stooges and the MC5. The history of Swervedriver dates back to 1984 in Oxford, England with the formation of Shake Appeal. Picking up on the Detroit music scene, the group developed a grungy sound, as well as an obsession with the automobile culture of the Midwestern United States, though few of them actually owned cars. "The car thing came from twisting around rock ‘n’ roll imagery," Adam Franklin explained to the Los Angeles Times. "Chuck Berry used to sing about cars. T-Rex used to sing about cars, and being in the car is just a good place to hear music."
In 1990, Swervedriver were signed to the infamous Creation Records who in turn licensed the bands first two albums in North America to A&M Records. Their sonically beautiful debut Raise made an immediate impact at college radio in the (then still) underground alternative rock scene and garnered the hit Son Of Mustang Ford. Their follow-up, the critically-acclaimed Mezcal Head, kept the band driving forward while NME called the single Duel the single of the week upon it’s release. An import-only release, Ejector Seat Reservation, followed in 1995; in the fall of 1998, Swervedriver resurfaced with their fourth effort, 99th Dream.
In 2008, Swervedriver began playing some occasional reunion shows, and now the band has officially announced the release of a new full-length, due in 2015 to coincide with their U.S. tour.
As one of the finest bands from the so-called shoegaze scene in the mid ’90s, their music is often described as a cross between British ethereal bands such as Ride, Lush, and My Bloody Valentine, and Motor City rock and roll classics like the Stooges and the MC5. The history of Swervedriver dates back to 1984 in Oxford, England with the formation of Shake Appeal. Picking up on the Detroit music scene, the group developed a grungy sound, as well as an obsession with the automobile culture of the Midwestern United States, though few of them actually owned cars. "The car thing came from twisting around rock ‘n’ roll imagery," Adam Franklin explained to the Los Angeles Times. "Chuck Berry used to sing about cars. T-Rex used to sing about cars, and being in the car is just a good place to hear music."
In 1990, Swervedriver were signed to the infamous Creation Records who in turn licensed the bands first two albums in North America to A&M Records. Their sonically beautiful debut Raise made an immediate impact at college radio in the (then still) underground alternative rock scene and garnered the hit Son Of Mustang Ford. Their follow-up, the critically-acclaimed Mezcal Head, kept the band driving forward while NME called the single Duel the single of the week upon it’s release. An import-only release, Ejector Seat Reservation, followed in 1995; in the fall of 1998, Swervedriver resurfaced with their fourth effort, 99th Dream.
In 2008, Swervedriver began playing some occasional reunion shows, and now the band has officially announced the release of a new full-length, due in 2015 to coincide with their U.S. tour.
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