What kind of band releases a slow-burning 10 minute epic as their debut track? Answer: A. Swayze And The Ghosts.
Since dropping that debut single back in 2015, the band have taken their understated, Eddy Current Suppression Ring-esque brand of pub-rock and doused it in a healthy dose of sweat and split beer.
“Noise made by people who have spent almost their whole lives in each others pockets“: A. Swayze And The Ghosts belt out a raw brand of pub-punk that’ll smack you right on the chin.
“We knew we had a good thing going with this track and were very keen to showcase the band’s ability to create a enjoyable listening experience for 10 minutes,” the band say of their 10-minute belter Reciprocation.
Normally this kind of approach is reserved for prog-rock and ambient musicians, but A. Swayze And The Ghosts pulled it off.
Originally forming an a Tasmanian share house, the band have gone on to release a four-track EP and play some of the country’s biggest music festivals. It’s pretty rare for such a journey to kickstart so quickly, but that’s the situation this four-piece have found themselves in.
“It’s a pretty weird experience, and we’ve all been playing together in other bands for a lot longer than 2 years,” they reflect on the experience.
“We work hard and love playing in a band so it’s nice to feel like it’s worth it. The reception is very humbling and the support we get from crowds all over the country really helps drive us.”
The second single released off their debut self-titled EP was Smooth Sailing; a blistering two-and-a-half-minute punk track.
“It’s been a favourite of ours from the beginning,” the band say of the song.
“It’s emotionally driven, with themes that we feel a lot of people can relate to, but really it’s a personal reflection of a certain time for some of us. Turning the track in to what it is now has been a process of trial and error, but it’s always remained short, sharp and full of passion.”
While Smooth Sailing initially felt pretty far removed from the extended energy of Reciprocation, the track’s punchy couple of minutes sit perfectly in their EP.
These are early days in the band’s career, so it’s no surprise that they have no plans to sow things down any time soon.
“We’re a very active group who crave playing shows and writing songs. We’ll be putting out music for as long as we can, some of it very soon.”
Stay tuned folks, new music from A. Swayze And The Ghosts will be with you shortly.
For now, listen to their EP above, and catch the band live at BIGSOUND this September.
