swervedriver

by Jason Ankeny The band who brought the car song into the shoegaze era, Swervedriver was formed in Britain in 1990 by vocalists/guitarists Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge, bassist Adi Vines, and drummer Graham Bonner. Fusing the swirling textures of the shoegazer aesthetic with the more traditional boundaries of pop, the group debuted with a series of brilliant EPs — Son of Mustang Ford, Rave Down, and Sandblasted — before issuing their full-length debut, Raise, in 1991. After a U.S. tour in support of Soundgarden, Bonner left the band, followed quickly by the departure of Vines; 1992s Never Lose That Feeling EP, their strongest effort to date, initially appeared to mark the groups swan song. But in 1993, Swervedriver returned; with the core of Franklin and Hartridge rounded out by new drummer Jez, they released their sophomore LP Mezcal Head. An import-only release, Ejector Seat Reservation, followed in 1995; in the fall of 1998, Swervedriver resurfaced with their fourth effort, 99th Dream. The Wrong Treats EP followed in 1999. Bonner and Vines, meanwhile, continued as Skyscraper. Adam Franklin recorded as Toshack Highway.