Band: Swage
From: Athens, Ohio
Their formation story:
(Ray, vocals): "We are four old friends living in Athens, Ohio who have known each other for 20+ years. Mike (bass) and Andrew (drums) have known each other even longer and have in some capacity been consistently playing music together for decades. Swage came about due to Andrew and Chris (guitar) working together at a local brewery, finding common musical interests between them, and the occasional 'we should start a band' conversation.
"Shortly after, I moved back to Athens with my family a few years ago I started sending Andrew messages stating, 'we should start a band,' with most messages going unanswered, until they didn't. Mike was brought on because you always want Mike in your band. We had our first practice in Summer of 2023, played our first show that November in Columbus, and have been getting together about once a week ever since."
Their sound in their own words:
"Honestly, we never have too much conversation regarding influences or overall direction for this band. Andrew has a Voivod tattoo, wears Seaweed shirts, and he and Mike have a mutual love for Suicidal Tendencies. Chris often has D.R.I. on his mind, and he and I probably come back to Four of a Kind more frequently than most fans.
"I personally can't shake the crust. Not that I would want to. I am not sure if any of those influences come through in our music. The most frequent comparisons we have heard from folks is 'weird crusty Oi!,' or a 'crusty Madball.'"
Latest release info:
"This self-titled cassette is our first release and our first attempt at recording together. It consists of the first 7 songs we wrote and was recorded in Mike's personal studio adjacent to his garage in late spring of 2024. The cover art was drawn by Cain/Grueling Terror. Cassettes were made available in November 2024 and are limited to /100."
Future plans:
"We are planning to record again this spring, release a 4-song EP, keep playing as many shows as possible, and try to convince more local folks to start new hardcore punk bands."
What other bands from their region should we check out?
"While Athens is a small transient college town, there are always fun bands that come and go. We are also very fortunate to have so many amazing bands within driving distance and within the greater Ohio Valley that are supportive of each other. I recommend checking out Snail Satan and Natural Sway from Athens, Hell is Here and Phasm who share members from Parkersburg, WV and central Ohio, Goblin Smut from Columbus, and Woodsguard and Static Wound from Huntington, WV.
"Cincinnati has some of my favorite active bands at the moment such as Coelacanth, Butcher's Dog, Rotting Hammer, Primitive Impulse, and Demanix."
Swage on social media: Instagram
Tagged: swage
