We Met up with the legendary Oxford, UK band, Swervedriver, before their show in Vancouver, BC. Members Adam Franklin, Jimmy Hartridge, Mick Quinn, and Mikey Jones, talked about classic albums by Iggy Pop, Dinosaur Jr, Ride, David Bowie and more. The band are touring behind their current release Future Ruins, now out via Dangerbird Records.

More on Swervedriver via AMG

Swervedriver were 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 shoegaze 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; 1992’s Never Lose That Feeling EP, their strongest effort to date, initially appeared to mark the group’s swan song. But in 1993, Swervedriver returned; with the core of Franklin and Hartridge rounded out by new drummer Jez Hindmarsh, they released their sophomore LP, Mezcal Head. An import-only release, Ejector Seat Reservation, followed in 1995, and featured new bassist Steve George. In the fall of 1998, Swervedriver resurfaced with their fourth effort, 99th Dream, and the Wrong Treats EP followed in 1999. Bonner and Vines, meanwhile, continued as Skyscraper, and Adam Franklin recorded as Toshack Highway. Swervedriver were on hiatus for much of the 2000s, until an October 2007 announcement that the group would re-form and commence touring the following year. The next several years found Swervedriver — Franklin, Hartridge, and George, with Hindmarsh, Bonner, or, starting in 2012, newcomer Mikey Jones (Bolts of Melody, Heaven) on drums — sporadically touring and appearing at festivals internationally, as well as making an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

The band’s single “Deep Wound” was released in the fall of 2013, and the group also announced plans for the arrival of a new full-length album in 2014. The album, titled I Wasn’t Born to Lose You, eventually got pushed back to a release date of early March 2015 and was preceded by second single “Setting Sun.” The album would be Swervedriver’s fifth full-length studio long player and the band’s first since 1998’s 99th Dream. Following the album’s release, the band took a three-year recording break but did continue to gig. After concluding a U.S. tour in 2017 they recorded what would become their sixth studio album. Future Ruins was released in 2019, preceded by the single “Mary Winter.”