Swallows is a post-modern, psych-emotive rock duo from Portland Oregon whose songs are informed by blues, indie-rock, surf-rock and the rejection of pre-conception. The duo formed in the Summer of 2003 when they converged in Portland - Jon from the East Coast - and Em from San Diego.
The past couple of years has been busy for the band as they went on two west coasts tours and participated in note-worthy local showcases featuring Two Ton Boa, Scout Niblett, Anna Oxygen, Jen Wood, Rebecca Gates (ex-Spinnanes) and Swan Island. Swallows also played at the annual PDX Pop Now! festival 2006 and the first We Made This Portland Festival in August 2006. During the winter of 2006, Swallows teamed up with Canadian film maker, Mark Kohl, and the NW Film Center to star in a music video for their hit, "Flight (Takeoff)", and a short documentary about the band's formation and accomplishments.
Their first full length, Me With Trees Towering (LP 2006, Cherchez La Femme Projects), was recorded by Radio Sloan and received critical acclaim both locally and nationally in publications such as Performer Magazine, Punk Planet, and Skyscraper. The album showcases the band's progressive pop structures and restructured rock landscapes exploring themes of self-enforced solitude, life changes, and creative interpretation.
After a successful debut release, Swallows has been challenging themselves with developing a full live sound and writing new material. Filling the gaps with a guitar loop pedal they have been able to create a raw, epic montage of the intricate musicianship they have been commended for over the years. The result is a beautifully messy sound, combining tribal rhythms and off-kilter guitar work that is equal parts early '80s no wave and late '90s math rock. Swallows are finishing up the recording of a brand new EP scheduled for release on Church of Girl Records later in 2007.
