Get to know Swirls
Photo Credit: Jodie Roszak
French garage punk project Swirls released their second album Surge this month. Even though the band’s musical influences vary by member, together they form a cohesive sound that pulls from garage, punk, slacker and indie rock. Swirls is a project about having fun while letting things out, and that really comes across on their latest self-recorded release. The songs explore the inevitability of getting older (“Neverland”), quickly losing your temper (“Short Fuse”) and being there for others when they need it most (“Leave It To Me”). There’s sarcasm there, for sure, but there’s also a lot of honesty and heart.
In our conversation, the band talks time-travel, sincerity in their music, recharging and how playing the songs on tour led to the re-recording of an entire album.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar?
It’s a kind of garage punk with slacker edges made by 37 year old dads.
Tell us about the recording sessions for Surge.
We actually recorded it twice. The first time was a bit "meh". The week after the recording we left for a short 4 day tour. At the end of the week, we said to each other: "damn, i think we play the songs 10 times better now". So we re-recorded the week after.
Luckily enough, we recorded on our own each time. Hugo, our drummer, has a small studio so it was just time wasting and not money ... (that we don't have). So it's a self-recorded album, just the four of us in a small room in a studio next to a clandestine swinger club.
As a band, how do you support each other creatively?
Each of us have different tastes in music but it all comes together with Swirls. It's an old friend-gathering, where everyone can share in a very safe place.
If you could time-travel to any musical era, where would you go?
Any musical era is exciting for different reasons (freedom, technology, political engagement) but every era had its own problems that I would not like to live with, so...I’m happy where I am. I wouldn’t mind being a bit younger!
How do you recharge when you’re low on energy?
Definitely, when we're the four of us, it's a real breath of fresh air. It's musical playtime where we can also just speak about our lives and let off steam.
What do you hope people will take from your music?
Just the sincerity, the fun and the pleasure of rocking guitars.
Montreal-based SamWoy blends narrative-driven songwriting with groove-heavy indie rock, channeling post-punk energy and glam influences. In the interview, he reflects on the spontaneity of live performance, pre-show nerves, and a creative process where songs evolve both in the studio and on stage.