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)

Maelstrom
Swervedriver Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Torn away
And aching to find some feeling
It's gone astray
Deaf are the ears of reason
Hoist me away
The cars on the street make me feel
Safe and sound
And dying to star in the sequel

I hear you say

Am I the only one?
Am I the only one?
Am I the only one?
And take me away

Deaf are the ears of reason
We're so earthbound
On every town's high rise ceilings
The streets we crawl
Youth at the summit freewheeling
I hear you say

I'm not the only one
I'm not the only one
We're not the only ones

We're not the chosen ones
I'm not the only one

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Maelstrom" by Swervedriver evoke a deep sense of isolation and disconnection, as well as an urgent need for escape. The singer is torn away from something that they desperately want to feel again, and they are searching for some kind of meaning or connection that seems to have gone astray. The line "Deaf are the ears of reason" suggests that the singer is struggling to make sense of their situation, and that even rationality can't offer them any solace or understanding.

The image of cars on the street making the singer feel "safe and sound" could be interpreted as a kind of false security, since the safety offered by a car is ultimately illusory. The singer seems to be yearning for something more authentic and transcendent, something that will lift them out of the mundane and into a state of grace or inspiration. The repeated refrain of "Am I the only one?" adds to the sense of alienation and disconnect, as if the singer is shouting into a void and hoping for some kind of response.

Despite the bleakness of the lyrics, there is a sense of unity and solidarity that emerges towards the end of the song. The singer affirms that they are not alone, that there are others who feel the same way they do and are searching for something more. The line "We're not the chosen ones" suggests that there is no privileged group who has the answers or the secrets to life; we are all struggling together to make sense of our existence. The song ends on a note of ambiguous hope, with the line "I'm not the only one" repeated several times, as if to emphasize the singer's newfound sense of community.

Line by Line Meaning

Torn away
Feeling ripped away from someone or something

And aching to find some feeling
Desiring to regain some sense of emotion

It's gone astray
That feeling is lost or misplaced

Deaf are the ears of reason
Logic cannot comprehend or explain the situation

Hoist me away
Wanting to be taken from the current situation

The cars on the street make me feel
Finding comfort in the common, everyday things

Safe and sound
Feeling secure in the present moment

And dying to star in the sequel
Eager for something new or exciting to happen

I hear you say
Someone else is speaking or trying to communicate

Am I the only one?
Questioning if they are alone in their experiences

And take me away
Repeating the desire for escape from the current situation