Swear & Shake are, arguably, the most beautiful band I have ever heard. Originally hailing from New York and born from the rich and warm, New York folk pedigree with a more recent infusion of Nashville roots, the band brings an intimate and sumptuous musical experience.
Swear and Shake first spun into my orbit about 6 years ago when I discovered their enchanting 5 track EP, appropriately titled "Extended Play" via Frostwire. So taken was I with the recording, I donated some money to them in the hope I would see more from them.
And they did not disappoint. In 2012, after their first successful Kickstarter campaign (and my own first experience of pledging to such a campaign), Swear & Shake minted their first long play album, The Maple Ridge - as eclectic and yet as sugnature a recording as you will ever find as a band looking to define their sound. Each song was lovingly hewn and brought to life through each band member's unique skills and it is a beautiful acheivement for them.
In the midst of a move to Nashville, an almost unbroken tour schedule and some minor tweaks to the line-up, they returned to the studio in 2014 to produce their 3rd recording (their 2nd EP) "Ain't That Loving". Helmed by the three principals, Adam McHeffey Kari Spieler and Shaun Savage, Swear & Shake are now working on a brand new, long play project called "The Sound Of Letting Go". This promises to be a hand crafted collection of music of the highest integrity and I would encourage you to become lost in their wonder. In a collaboration with Pledge Music, a purpose built crowdfunding space, Swear & Shake have put together an impressive list of investment incentives which start at as little as $5 and go right upto $3500 (USD) which will get you a house performance from the band themselves. There's plenty in addition here as the band draws in art and fashion to create merchandise that complements their music which, of course, features at all pledge levels. Take a look at their project page at Pledge Music and consider supporting them. With around 18 days of their campaign left to go, they are roughly 75% funded. It is no small thing for me to say that they really are a one of a kind musical experience and I guarantee you will not be disappointed by the core mission of this project - an album called "The Sound Of Letting Go." Do this. DFA.
For those of you who know me, I have been described as a very musical writer and indeed, music is an integral part of my writing process. They are sources of inspiration that help me to conjure mood, create and refine scenes and lend an atmosphere to my work. During the writing of The Recipient, I drew upon my love of music once again and though it doesn't feature as prominently in this story as it did in my previous novels "The Hambledown Dream" and "Gifts of the Peramangk", there is a strong musical undercurrent that informs The Recipient. In that vein, I'd like to present a playlist of songs that were influential in the journey of The Recipient and a little bit of the story behind their contribution.
When I came to putting together the teaser trailer for The Recipient, I approached Aberdeen based rock band ElevenEleven to seek permission to use a track off their 2010 EP "Memoirs - Part One". Titled simply "Prologue" - this instrumental piece provided the perfect atmospherics I was looking for in creating a teaser that would draw the reader into the world of The Recipient. It's rumbling bass intro combined with frenetic guitar licks from Eliot Leonard and powerful drum riffs from Ross Senkbeil underpin the foreboding visuals in the 84 second trailer and I'm really pleased that the band allowed me to use the track.
I've long been a fan of the Foo Fighters and when I was writing some of the very first scenes of The Recipient, I was listening their 2008 album "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace". I eventually incorporated the first track off that album into one of the introductory scenes where we meet Casey Schillinge, 3 years after her life saving heart transplant. I was particularly drawn to these lyrics in the song - I'm the voice inside your head / You refuse to hear / I'm the face that you have to face / Mirrored in your stare. They fit with the battle that Casey Schillinge is waging inside her own head with the nightmares that plague her. Though she doesn't yet know why those nightmares are there, she has a sense that they are not her but, rather, someone else's.
Right the way back at the very beginning of The Recipient - even before I knew what this novel was going to be about, I was listening to Kate Miller-Heidke's 2012 album Night Flight. Whilst I was holidaying on Kangaroo Island, I became really drawn to two tracks off that album - "Ride This Feeling" and "Sarah'. Last year, as I was approaching the completion of the first draft of the manuscript, I returned to Kate's album and became captivated by these lines from the song "Ride This Feeling";
"And I'm gonna ride this feeling / As far as it goes / I'm gonna ride this feeling / I don't know, I don't know / Whether I'm flying or falling / I'm gonna ride this feeling..."
These lines came to represent Casey Schillinge's determination to find out why she is experiencing her horrible nightmares. As she propels herself further into the mystery, Casey becomes single minded, she follows her gut - she 'rides her feeling' until she discovers the truth of her circumstance. I approached Kate's management team and Kate herself to ask permission to reproduce those lyrics as a quote at the beginning of the book and, to my utter delight, they kindly allowed me to do so.
It was Miller-Heidke's track "Sarah" that really helped me to shape the tragic back story that would eventually underpin the entire novel. "Sarah" is about a girl who goes missing at a music festival and turns up much later having no recollection of where she went. I took that idea and re-purposed it and it became a critical element in The Recipient.
During the writing of the latter part of The Recipient, when I was clear about the direction it was going to go, I was introduced to Melbourne based rock outfit Heaven the Axe by my brother. Fronted by quite possibly the most powerful rock chick I've ever heard in Phoebe Pinnock, their track "Enemy" became anthemic for the emerging battle Casey Schillinge wages within herself and without - against the unfolding conspiracy surrouding her donor and her tragic fate. Dark forces are disturbed by Casey's persistence and an Enemy will emerge that will threatens her life all over again.
Nashville based folk-rock band Swear & Shake have occupied a special place in my heart and my music playlist since I discovered them back in 2012. They are a sublime musical outfit who explore wondrous places and states of mind - in no small part due to the hypnotic vocal talent of Kari Spieler and Adam McHeffey.
Their track "The Light", off their 2012 LP "Maple Ridge" offers a sense of reflection that informs the conclusion of the journey of my protagonist Casey Schillinge and I was really inspired by the soulful - almost hymnal - quality of this particular song.
The Recipient will be out in stores everywhere from May 1st, 2016. Pre-Order you copy now from Amazon, The Book Depository, Boomerang Books (Australia) and where ever good books are sold.
For your chance to Win a Copy of The Recipient, a $25 Amazon gift card and a donation in your name to Amnesty International - Enter the exclusive The Recipient Competition NOW.
I have previously described New York folk rock outfit Swear & Shake as quite possibly the most beautiful band I've ever heard. I have followed them loyally ever since their debut release "Extended Play" (2011) and their Kick-starter backed long player "Maple Ridge" (2012).
This year will see the release of their much anticipated follow up album "Ain't That Lovin" and it promises to kick up their sound a considerable notch - as is clear from these two music videos for their latest singles 'Fire' and 'Brother'.
April 17th (April 18th in Australia) sees the world wide release of New York outfit Swear & Shake's debut long player "Maple Ridge". This is an album I have long been looking forward to, ever since I chronicled the band in my 2011 T.N.B.N.O.T feature. At that time, I had discovered S & S through their self titled E.P. which quickly rose to the top of my playlist and has remained there ever since. Back then, I felt their music was a kind of nod to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Arlo Guthrie, Henry Rollins and The Decemberists. Make no mistake though - Swear and Shake have a passionately individual and original sound that should be seen and experienced on it's own terms.
"Maple Ridge" represents and important milestone for the band. Funded partially through Kickstarter - of which I was a proud contributor - the album show cases Swear & Shake in all their indie cred glory. And it is a sumptuous album, full of charm and character, brass and banjos, accordions and acoustics. Recording as they did at the titular Maple Ridge barn in upstate New York, the overall sound has a beauty that is warm and real - untainted by the studio process. The production team have experimented, drawing on the natural acoustics within the barn and adding them to the aural tableaux which makes the listening experience just so damned interesting. The core musicians along with their guest artists are at the top of their game too, bringing each track an individual style - no two tracks are quite the same but, as a collection, they are synchronous - they belong together. And of course, the vocal duets between Kari and Adam are raucous at times, intimate at others and honest always. They have fun and they have heart. It is a jewel of a recording.
As I write this, I've been away in rural South Australia on a locum placement and I've had the good fortune (as a Kickstarter backer) to have an advance listen. It has become my soundtrack to my journey on the back roads and highways of the Outback, a perfect accompaniment to the wide open spaces of the rural heartland, the wheat fields and the sheep paddocks and the towering grain silos that are really, the only evidence that anyone is out here. "Maple Ridge" really does suit any place though or any mood. Losing yourself in it is sublime.
If you are a connosieur of an earthy sound, an indie folk rockabilly, this is an album that you must treat yourself to. Do yourself a big favor. "Maple Ridge" is available for purchase directly from the band's website in either digital download or physical CD.
This past week, the superlative indie folk outfit "Swear & Shake" (who I featured here at DFA Dot Com last year) released their debut music video "These White Walls" from their upcoming debut album "The Maple Ridge".
I got a sneak peek of the video in advance as part of my Kickstarter pledge to the band, but now the video is official, I thought I'd share it here.
It is a killer track from a band who has gone top of my playlist. Check it out.
