Swiz was an American
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
band formed in 1987 in
Washington, D.C.
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, United States.
History
The founding members were Shawn Brown (vocals) and Ramsey Metcalf (guitar), who later added
Nathan Larson Nathan Larson may refer to:
*Nathan Larson (musician), American musician
* Nathan Larson (criminal), American white supremacist and convicted felon
See also
*Nate Larson
Nate Larson (born March 16, 1978) is a Baltimore-based artist and photograph ...
(bass), Alex Daniels (drums) and Jason Farrell (guitar). Before Swiz formed, Brown had been the original vocalist for
Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty is an American punk rockGreenwald, p. 14. "Ian Mackaye was such a huge Rites of Spring fan that he not only recorded what was to be the band's only album in 1985 and served as a roadie for them while on tour, but his own new band, E ...
. Metcalf departed shortly after the band recorded its first demo and Swiz continued as a four-piece.
Getting started
The band started with the goal to move away from the
Revolution Summer movement that had emerged with the Washington, D.C. punk scene in 1985. Members felt the intensity and aggressiveness had decreased with the new wave of punk music and felt they resonated more with hardcore punk.
The band's first show together was on June 25, 1987 and did five more before deciding Ramsey was not a good fit. They proceeded to put out an E.P and begin touring.
Releases
They released its first 7", ''Down'', at the end of 1987 and its self-titled LP was released by Sammich Records in 1988. Swiz released its next album, ''Hell Yes, I Cheated'', in 1989. The record also included a track by Fury, a side project that consisted of Farrell, Daniels, Brown (on bass), and Chris Thomson (formerly of Ignition, later of
Circus Lupus
Circus Lupus was a post-hardcore band based in the area of Washington, D.C. The band originally formed in Madison, Wisconsin, where one-time Ignition and Soul Side bassist Chris Thomson met guitarist Chris Hamley and drummer Arika Casebolt while ...
), on vocals. By the time ''Hell Yes, I Cheated'' was released in 1990, Larson had left the band and was replaced by Dave Stern. This line-up recorded an EP in May 1990 but broke up shortly afterward. The EP, titled ''With Dave'', was released posthumously in 1992 by
Jade Tree Records
Jade Tree International, Inc. is an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in 1990 in Wilmington, Delaware.
History
Origin (1987–1990)
In 1987, Tim Owen and Darren Walters were introduced during a punk show in Washingto ...
. In 1993, Jade Tree also released ''No Punches Pulled'', which contained the band's entire discography. Also that year, THD Records released a 7" called ''Rejects'', which contained unused tracks from the ''Down'' sessions.
Recent History
Nathan Larson resurfaced with
Shudder To Think
Shudder to Think was an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, they released three albums on the Washington, D.C.-based label Dischord Records, and two on Epic Records. Their early work was largely influenced by post-hardcore although ...
and later went into soundtrack work. Jason Farrell and Dave Stern formed
Bluetip
Bluetip was an American rock band from Washington, D.C., forming in March 1995 by ex-members of Swiz. They released four albums, an EP, and a number of singles before splitting up in January 2002. Originally, the band was to be named The Ohio Blu ...
in 1995. After Bluetip's demise, Farrell formed Retisonic and is also a graphic designer whose work has appeared on many records by a number of different bands. Alex Daniels played drums in Severin from 1990–1993. Shawn Brown fronted the band Jesuseater and currently works as a tattoo artist. In 1996, Brown, Farrell, Stern, and Daniels reunited under the name Sweetbelly Freakdown and released a 7" and an album on Jade Tree.
In 2012, Brown, Farrell, and Stern formed a new band called Red Hare.
On December 19, 2014, Swiz reunited for a surprise series of songs at a Red Hare show at
Comet Ping Pong
Comet Ping Pong (often abbreviated as Comet) is a pizzeria, restaurant, and concert venue located on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C.'s Chevy Chase neighborhood. Owned by James Alefantis, Comet has received critical acclaim from ''The ...
in Washington, DC. This line-up featured Brown, Farrell, Stern, and Daniels. This same Swiz line-up played an unannounced 30-minute set the next evening (December 20, 2014) at the
Black Cat
A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...
in Washington, DC, joining
Soulside
Soulside, also spelled Soul Side, was an American post-hardcore band from the greater Washington, D.C. area. The original name of the band was Lunchmeat which was formed by high school students Bobby Sullivan, Chris Thomson, Scott McCloud and A ...
and
Moss Icon
Moss Icon is an American post-hardcore band formed in late 1986 in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. Its original lineup comprised vocalist Jonathan Vance, guitarist Tonie Joy, bassist Monica DiGialleonardo, and drummer Mark Laurence. Alex Ba ...
for reunion sets.
Members
* Shawn Brown – vocals
(1987–1990, 2004, 2014)
* Jason Farrell – guitar
(1987–1990, 2004, 2014)
* Ramsey Metcalf – guitar
(1987)
* Nathan Larson – bass
(1987–1990)
* Dave Stern – bass
(1990, 2004, 2014)
* Alex Daniels – drums
(1987–1990, 2004, 2014)
Discography
LPs
* ''Swiz'' (Sammich Records, 1988)
* ''Hell Yes, I Cheated'' (Sammich Records, 1989)
Singles and EPs
* "Down" 7" (Hellfire Records, 1987)
* "With Dave" 7" (Jade Tree, 1992)
* "Rejects" 7" (THD Records, 1993)
* "With Ramsey" (Jade Tree, 2004) – Demo recorded May 1987.
Compilation albums
*''No Punches Pulled'' (Jade Tree, 1993)
References
External links
Swiz @ Jade Tree
{{Authority control
Hardcore punk groups from Washington, D.C.
Musical groups established in 1987
Jade Tree (record label) artists