Swirl (band)
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Swirl | |
---|---|
Origin | Sydney, Australia |
Years active | 1990-2002 |
Labels | Half A Cow, Regular Records, Festival, Polydor, Mercury Records, Um & Ah |
Past members | Ben Aylward Nicola Schultz David Lord Keira Hodgkison Richard Anderson |
Website | Official website |
Swirl were a Sydney, Australia-based indie rock band, forming around 1990 and breaking up in 2002. They released three albums and a number of EP's, mostly through independent Sydney label Half A Cow.
History
Their debut album Aurora (1992) was mostly rock with some shoegazer elements, such as extensive use of guitar fuzz and reverb on vocals. Their next album, 1994's The Last Unicorn went further into shoegazing territory, with layered, feedback-washed guitar solos and ambient instrumental tracks between songs; it also featured a guest performance by Lara Goodridge, later of the FourPlay String Quartet, on violin. In subsequent years, Swirl released a few EPs and played live in Sydney, Melbourne and other Australian cities.
Their last studio album, Light Fill My Room, was released in 2001 on independent record label Um & Ah; it had been recorded a few years earlier and financed by Festival Mushroom Records, although the major label dropped them and the release was thus held up. Light Fill My Room was a more polished, radio-friendly affair; it had elements of Swirl's shoegazing sound, but also ballads and even a children's choir on one song. Swirl broke up in December 2002; the various members are pursuing other musical projects.
Post Break up
In 2010, Swirl released a digital double album of EP, b-sides and live tracks called Satellites (One) and Satellites (Two). These are only available via download through iTunes. The original Swirl lineup are reuniting to play this summer's Half A Cow Records tribute nights at the Lansdowne Hotel in Sydney on Friday 21 December 2012 and the Tote in Collingwood on 25 January 2013.
Members
- Ben Aylward (Guitar/vocals) Ben's new project Beautiful World MySpace and Fabels https://www.facebook.com/fabelsmusic/
- Nicola Schultz (Bass/vocals) (departed 1997) Nicola Schultz Website
- David Lord (drums/percussion)
- Keira Hodgkison (Guitar/vocals) (joined 1997) Keira's Myspace site Keira's web page
- Richard Anderson (Bass) (joined 1997)
Discography
Full discography and purchase details available at the Half a Cow website.
Albums
- Aurora album (1992, Half A Cow)
- The Last Unicorn album (1994, Half A Cow/Regular Records/Festival)
- The Last Unicorn album (1995, Half A Cow/Polydor)
- Light Fill My Room album (2001, Um & Ah)
The two releases of The Last Unicorn had different track orders.
EPs
- Swirl EP (1991, Half A Cow)
- Touch EP (1992, Half A Cow/Regular Records/Festival)
- The Last Unicorn EP (1995, Half A Cow/Mercury Records)
- On My Own EP (1996, Half A Cow/Mercury Records)
Compilations
- Half A Cow "Compilation" (1993, HAC28)
- Satellites (One) (2010, Half A Cow)
- Satellites (Two) (2010, Half A Cow)
External links
- Official website (not updated since 2001)
- MySpace site featuring band's music
- Biography on Half a Cow record