The Swon Brothers are an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
duo from
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...
, consisting of Zach Swon (born February 21, 1985) and Colton Swon (born August 17, 1988).
In 2013, they finished in third place on the fourth season of NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''The Voice''. They were the first duo to make it from the Top 12 live shows to the season finale.
On November 1, 2013, the Swon Brothers signed a record deal with Arista which is part of the Sony group. They released their first official single, "Later On
Later may refer to:
* Future, the time after the present
Television
* ''Later'' (talk show), a 1988–2001 American talk show
* '' Later... with Jools Holland'', a British music programme since 1992
* ''The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts'', or ...
", the following month. On October 14, 2014, the Swon Brothers released their self-titled debut album, before parting ways with Arista the following year.
Early life
The Swon Brothers, Zach and Colton, were born in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...
, to Kelly and Tammy Swon. Colton Swon was born on August 17, 1988, while Zach was born on February 21, 1985. Colton attended elementary school in Hilldale, Muskogee, and later attended school with his brother Zach in Oktaha, where he left after eighth grade to go to Hilldale High School. Zach Swon studied at the Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public university with its main campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The university also has two other campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow as well as online. Northeastern is the oldest institution of high ...
and worked at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, located in Muskogee, Oklahoma, honors Oklahoma musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert are held each year in Muskogee. Since its establishment in 1997, the Hall of Fa ...
in Muskogee.
The brothers started performing when they were children, touring with their parents' Southern gospel group Exodus, and performing in various local events and stages. By the time Zach Swon was 9 or 10, he was playing drums for his parents’ band. In 1995, the Swon Brothers’ parents formed a family-style variety show in Wagoner called Westwood Music Show, where the Brothers performed songs ranging from Elvis to Frank Sinatra, as well as starting to perform in the country music genre. In 2000, when they were 12 and 15, the brothers started calling themselves The Swon Brothers, and appeared in various venues.
In 2007, Colton Swon auditioned for the seventh season of ''American Idol'' (aired 2008) and reached the Top 48. Both Zach and Colton also appeared as contestants in 2007 on a local TV show ''Gimme the Mike''. The Swon Brothers have released a couple of independent albums with songs including "Oklahoma Lovin’" and "This Close to Gone". Their first professionally recorded album ''Another Day'', which they described as modern country, was released on January 16, 2009. They cited The Eagles
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s ...
as their musical influence.
''The Voice''
The Swon Brothers auditioned for The Voice on a whim when asked by their keyboard player, James Redden, who wanted them to audition with him. During the blind auditions, The Swon Brothers performed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer S ...
's "American Girl
American Girl is an American line of dolls released on May 5, 1986, by Pleasant Company. The dolls portray eight- to fourteen-year-old boys and girls of a variety of ethnicities, faiths, and social classes from different time periods throughou ...
", turning three chairs, Usher, Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single " Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
, and Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
on April 1, 2013. They proceeded to choose Blake as their coach and remained on his team the whole season. During the Top 8 Live Performances, The Swon Brothers chose to sing Seven Bridges Road
"Seven Bridges Road" is a song written by American musician Steve Young, recorded in 1969 for his '' Rock Salt & Nails'' album. It has since been covered by many artists, the best-known versions being a five-part harmony arrangement by English m ...
as a tribute to victims of the 2013 Moore tornado
On the afternoon of May 20, 2013, a large and extremely violent EF5 tornado ravaged through Moore, Oklahoma, and adjacent areas, with peak winds estimated at , killing 24 people (plus two indirect fatalities) and injuring 212 others. The tor ...
. They finished in third place making them the farthest duo in the voice.
: – Studio version of performance reached the top 10 on iTunes
Post-''The Voice'' career
The Swon Brothers signed a recording contract with Arista Nashville after appearing in ''The Voice''. They released a single "Later On
Later may refer to:
* Future, the time after the present
Television
* ''Later'' (talk show), a 1988–2001 American talk show
* '' Later... with Jools Holland'', a British music programme since 1992
* ''The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts'', or ...
" on December 10, 2013, the first single from their self-titled album released on October 14, 2014. They debuted the single on ''The Voice'' the same day. It sold 23,000 copies in its debut week. In October 2015, the duo parted ways with Arista due to creative differences. On January 29, 2016, they released the EP Timeless. They also opened for Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...
's Storyteller Tour in 2016.
Discography
Albums
Compilation albums
Extended plays
Singles
Competition singles
Repeat performance in finale.
Music videos
References
External links
*
*
The Swon Brothers
at ''The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
''
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swon Brothers
Living people
American musical duos
Country music duos
Musical groups established in 2000
The Voice (franchise) contestants
Participants in American reality television series
Arista Nashville artists
Sibling musical duos
Country musicians from Oklahoma
Northeastern State University alumni
Year of birth missing (living people)