Swervedriver to fill Great American Music Hall in March

Swervedriver are playing at The Great American Music Hall on March 6, four days after they release I Wasn’t Born to Lose You, their first album in 17 years. They are playing with Gateway Drugs, a psychedelic-tinged band from Los Angeles.

Formed in Oxford, England in 1989, Swervedriver generally get talked about as the ‘heavier’ or ‘harder-rocking’ member of the shoegaze family, which probably has less to do with their musical intentions than their contemporaries — they gained attention after signing to Creation Records alongside My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Slowdive and a much longer and absurd list of bands.

One thing rings true through the years: Guitar is the main character of Swervedriver, although the style and points of reference have changed slightly. Their earlier releases have the soaring vocal and guitar melodies signature to the shoegaze sound, but it also has the pace and heavy bounce of some 90s american alternative rock — they opened for The Smashing Pumpkins during the Siamese Dream tour, for reference. Flash forward a decade: the band has only released three singles in the 21st century, all of which are brighter and more repetitive, less anxious than their older material but just as big and driving.

After a few line-up changes, a haitus and some label hopping, Swervedriver are weeks away from releasing their sixth full-length LP. If you make it, expect to hear some of Swervedriver’s now classic tracks and some completely new material, all of which is likely to be very loud. You can buy tickets via the GAMH website, and below is one of the songs off their upcoming album.