Swervedriver are a 1990s British guitar band initially associated with "sh… Read Full Bio ↴Swervedriver are a 1990s British guitar band initially associated with "shoegazing", however their heavier rock & roll style also related them to the grunge genre coming from the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Some music writers considered them to be Britain's answer to this sound. Regardless of labels, the band's mix of storming and swirling guitar experimentation often crossed into psychedelia, coupled with mystical lyrics that often praised the nihilism of sports cars, racing and the open road.

History

Early years

Their origins sprung from Oxford, United Kingdom in 1984 with the formation of a group called Shake Appeal, named after a song from one of their main influences, The Stooges. Consisting of vocalist/guitarists Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge, lead vocalist Graham Franklin (Adam's brother), bassist Adi Vines, and drummer Paddy Pulzer; Shake Appeal went ahead reproducing the sounds of American garage rock of the late 60's and early 70's. The group wrote what would become Swervedriver's first classic "Son of Mustang Ford," however after a few years the band began to fall apart when both Graham and Paddy left.

The remaining three members drafted drummer Graham Bonnar, but by this time the group's sound mutated significantly under the influence of re-invented guitar music by American bands like Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth. So with a new lineup and new sound came a new name, Swervedriver. Their hometown colleagues from fellow shoegazing group Ride passed their re-recorded demo of "Son of Mustang Ford" to Alan McGee of Creation Records; who, as legend has it, played the tape for the first time while cruising the inner streets of Los Angeles in a limo. The experience caused him sign the band immediately.

First album and possible breakup

Merging the whirling qualities of the shoegazer genre with heavy distorted guitars, and lyrics often featuring cars and escapism, the group debuted with a series of EPs; "Son of Mustang Ford," "Rave Down" and "Sandblasted," before issuing their full-length album debut "Raise" in 1991. Then after a U.S. tour in support of Soundgarden, Bonner left the band; the departure of Vines followed shortly afterwards. Bonner and Vines would eventually go on to form a new group called Skyscraper. Swervedriver's final release with the original lineup, 1992's "Never Lose That Feeling" EP, appeared to be the group's last.

Release of Mezcal Head

But in 1993, Swervedriver re-emerged with the core of Franklin and Hartridge along with newly recruited drummer Jez, and released their landmark album "Mezcal Head." If "Raise" was a product featuring a love of Americana, escapism and the open highway, then "Mezcal Head" was all that, but broadcast in IMAX with Dolby surround sound. Production and sound were greatly improved, and the album gave them their most successful single "Duel," hailed as one of the premier songs of the shoegazer genre. The album clearly forged a permanent link with their American fans, and made them more popular there than in their own native Britain. During this era, the fabled b-side "The Hitcher" found a release on the "Last Train to Satansville" EP. "The Hitcher" is widely considered to be a fan favorite.

Ejector Seat Reservation & Britpop

1994 found the band adding new bassist Steve George, along with extensive touring of the U.S. (supporting The Smashing Pumpkins), Japan and Europe. However by then the shoegazing genre in Britain was dead, replaced by the more mainstream Britpop movement hi-lighted by bands such as Oasis and Blur. The massive rise of Britpop caused Creation Records to drop the band just one week after the U.K. release of 1995 album "Ejector Seat Reservation." It was never released in the U.S. where they could have capitalized on the momentum of "Mezcal Head." ESR was another leap forward for the band, incorporating a wider number of influences from Elvis Costello to Bob Dylan. It saw the group grow into rebel visionaries and received the highest critical acclaim; however without any record company support it was doomed to be their poorest selling venture. This began a period of protracted record label problems for the band which fans dubbed the Swervedriver label curse.

Final years

In 1996, Swervedriver signed on with Geffen Records with a multi-record deal, and promptly began recording their fourth album. However their contract was terminated when their A&R (Artists & Repertoire) representative was fired in a corporate downsizing. Once the legal dust settled the band was awarded their own recording studio along with the finished album, however it was still a major setback. Their fourth and final album "99th Dream" was finally released in 1998 after signing on with Zero Hour Records of the U.S., and it continued the evolution that began with "Ejector Seat Reservation." Drawing less from their earlier ‘grunge' sound, the band never the less maintained their swerving, pyschedelic guitar rifts coupled with Franklin's magical lyrics and droning vocals, and was another brilliant body of work. The group continued to draw on a broader range of musical influences; for example the title track "99th Dream" was written as a prequel to Bob Dylan's song "115th Dream." Despite this album easily containing a half dozen possible hit singles, and a successful tour of the U.S., Britain and Australia; they did not break out beyond their traditional cult following. The "Wrong Treats" EP released in 1999 would become the bands last body of work as an extant group; they announced a hiatus later that year that persists to this day. Adam Franklin continues to release albums under his new band Toshack Highway.

In 2005, Castle Music released a Swervedriver anthology album titled "Juggernaut Rides" which brought together 33 songs; including many only available on rare EPs, and four that were previously unreleased..

In Late 2007 the Creation Records web site confirmed Swervedriver was reuniting for a 2008 tour.

Origins of name

How Swervedriver settled on their name has been the subject of debate among their fans for many years. During interviews whenever questioned on this topic, the band would simply respond that it was just a name; as The Beatles were just a name (in reference to that band's simple response in many early interviews). However Adam Franklin had once mentioned the band liked the connotation of a speeding driver, swerving and ultimately losing control of their car.

Discography

Full length albums

* Raise (1991)
* Mezcal Head (1993)
* Ejector Seat Reservation (1995)
* 99th Dream (1998)
* Juggernaut Rides 1989-1998 (2005) - 2 CD set
*I Wasn't Born to Lose You(2015)
*Future Ruins(2019)

Singles/EPs

* Son of Mustang Ford (1991)
* Rave Down (1991)
* Sandblasted (1991)
* Reel To Real (1991)
* Never Lose That Feeling (1993)
* Duel (1993)
* Last Train To Satansville (1993)
* My Zephyr (1994)
* Magic Bus (1994) - from Day Tripper movie soundtrack
* Last Day on Earth (1995)
* Swervedriver / Sophia Split (1996)
* 93 Million Miles From the Sun ... and Counting (1997)
* Space Travel Rock 'n' Roll (1998)
* Wrong Treats (1999)

93 Million Miles From the Sun and Counting
Swervedriver Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Swervedriver:

03. Blowin' Cool White hot morning The blinding light of day holds sway Bare…
05. Last Train To Satansville "You look like you've been losin' sleep" Said a stranger on…
08. Girl On A Motorbike Take a walk through the city Turn right at Potzdamer…
99th Dream Before the setting sun reclines We hear Westminster chimes Y…
A Change Is Gonna Come I keep on thinkin' it's wrong So I'm chiding you…
Afterglow The devil must have sculpted Your beautiful mesmeric green m…
Autodidact The city sleeps disturbed Boots filled with lead A dimension…
behind the scenes and sounds of the times Go take a walk in the sun Go take the weight…
Behind The Scenes Of The Sound and the Times Go take a walk in the sun Go take the weight…

Blowin White hot morning The blinding light of day holds sway Bare…
Bring Me The Head Of The Fortune Teller Black Power, girl power, rack and ruin Blackmail, ponytail, …
Bubbling Up Bubbling up and not buckling under I walked for miles tonig…
Cars Converge on Paris The Kremlin flies forever In the face of expectation Like su…
Days As I collapsed to watch the movie A hand reached out…
Deep Seat You close my eyes without blinking You read my thoughts with…
Duel You've been away for so long You can't ask why…
Duress And when the dawn begins to creep Sunlight finds you…
Ejector Seat Reservation Not going down in a ball of fire Just 'cause the…
Electric 77 Sail away Over waves of electric oceans On a clear day you'l…
Everybody's Going Somewhere and No-One's Going Anywhere Everybody's going somewhere and no one's gotta go anywhere …
Expressway Like summer's death throes London's arms around me The world…
Feel So Real When it seems so real I can just close my eyes…
Flawed You free the weight from my mind Something annoys that's wel…
For Seeking Heat You seem to circle miles above me Never hearing any…
Girl On A Motorbike Take a walk through the city Turn right at Potzdamer…
Good Times Are So Hard To Follow She said you know that good times are so hard…
Hands I just love this part of the world The food's fine…
Harry I was born on a close street down a hill The…
How Does It Feel to Look Like Candy? How does it feel to look like candy? Always tripping up…
I am Superman See me fly over your rooftops Throwing change to your outstr…
In My Time The see-saw sawn through sunlight Is seamless seems to say s…
Jesus You rise and fall before me I close my eyes When…
Juggernaut Rides I don't care what you say I'm gonna do it anyway I…
Kill the Superheroes Please take it away I don't need your ideals today I'm holdi…
Land of the Lost So lost I can't live without your love I can't live without…
Last Day on Earth As I collapsed to watch the movie A hand reached out…
Last Train To Satansville "You look like you've been losin' sleep" Said a stranger on…
Laze It Up You zap the sense right out of me Swirl around in…
Lead Me Where You Dare Scenic revue Let me through I hear a song Beyond the thro…
Lead Me Where You Dare... Scenic revue Let me through I hear a song Beyond the throng …
Maelstrom Torn away And aching to find some feeling It's gone astray D…
Magic Bus Every day, I get in the queue (Too much, magic bus) To…
Mars Take me there I Don't care We'll find love Holding out so h…
Mary Winter I had nothing to dream So I dreamt of you Has this…
MM Abduction The day I drove you to the fair Undying love…
My Zephyr This never happened before Or again or ever Always and never…
Neon Lights Glow You took the best in my life and turned it…
Never Lose That Feeling You can see for miles you say I'm not watchin'…
Out Here we are again Starting to descend I said I can Find a…
Over Don't say it's over Don't say it's true Don't say it's ove…
pile up Rain falls, pours down Four years no sound There's all the…
Pile-Up Rain falls, pours down Four years no sound There's all these…
Planes Over the Skyline Walking through the Haight Along a loud and crowded street D…
Rave Down Rave down, hit the ground Before the pistol crack spins me…
Ravedown Rave down, hit the ground Before the pistol crack spins m…
Sandblasted How does it feel to feel? You know it's for real Don't…
sci flyer Let's go and meet our friends They said they'd be here…
Sci-Flyer Let's go and meet our friends They said they'd be here…
Scrawl & Scream If seeing was believing I'd open arms and let you in This…
Setting Sun You setting sun We were terrorised As we reached the hull An…
She She ruffled up her mane She's beside herself She felt it sli…
She Weaves A Tender Trap You know she weaves a tender trap Once you're there's no…
She's Beside Herself She ruffled up her mane She's beside herself She felt it sli…
Shes Beside Herself She ruffled up her mane She's beside herself She felt it s…
Son of Jaguar 'E' Traveling home, all alone I caught you with my eye You cam…
Son Of Mustang Ford Yeah Mustang take me Mustang Ford take me far away Been driv…
Spiked Flower You're gonna say it anyway So you might as well say…
Sunset Take me there I don't care We'll find love Space girl lands…
Swervedriver for Seeking Heat You seem to circle miles above me Never hearing any…
The Birds In a moment of weakness I embodied the sickness And when…
The Director They're hanging me tonight Say have you got a light? The b…
The Hitcher You're never far away from my mind Always too far away…
The Lonely Crowd Fades In The Air The lonely crowd fades in the air The lonely crowd fades…
The Other Jesus You rise and fall before me I close my eyes When…
These Times We live through these times And never change the way we…
Train "You look like you've been losin' sleep" Said a stranger on…
Up From The Sea It comes up from the sea In need of empathy In need…
Volcano Trash The two live titans clash The green light "GO" just flashed …
Why Say Yeah Why say yeah when you don't really mean it? It's hearsay…
Wrong Treats Well I was born on on a close street Opened arms…
Year of the Girl Does she wanna burn a field of four-leaf clovers? Does she…
You You've sealed my fate uh huh You've sealed my fate I can't…
You Find It Everywhere You find it here You find it everywhere It's always…
You've Sealed My fate You've sealed my fate uh huh You've sealed my fate I can't…

Zedhead Frost-bitten evergreen the stars they form a tree I'm walkin…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS