Swans
- Type: Band/Group
- Country: United States
- Born: 1982 in New York City, New York, United States
- Active: 1982 - present
Biography
Swans are an American experimental rock band formed by Michael Gira in 1981 New York City. Emerging from the No Wave scene, the group's early work was infamous for its sonic brutality, featuring punishingly slow tempos and abrasive textures on albums like 'Filth'. The band's sound evolved dramatically with the 1985 arrival of vocalist and keyboardist Jarboe, who introduced melodic and atmospheric elements that steered them toward gothic rock and neofolk. After disbanding in 1997, Gira reactivated Swans in 2010. This new iteration explores monolithic, drone-based post-rock, cementing the band's legacy as a relentlessly innovative and influential force in underground music.
Genres
Swans Discography
- Swans (1982) - EP - rated 3.46/5
- Filth (1983) - Album - rated 3.85/5
- Cop (1984) - Album - rated 3.63/5
- Young God (1984) - EP - rated 2.93/5
- Time Is Money (Bastard) / Sealed in Skin (1986) - Single - rated 3.47/5
- Greed (1986) - Album - rated 3.57/5
- Holy Money (1986) - Album - rated 3.76/5
- Public Castration Is a Good Idea (1986) - Album - rated 4.09/5
- A Screw (Holy Money) / Blackmail / A Screw (1986) - EP - rated 3.34/5
- Children of God (1987) - Album - rated 4.36/5
- Feel Good Now (1987) - Album - rated 3.83/5
- Love Will Tear Us Apart / Trust Me / Our Love Lies (1988) - EP - rated 3.27/5
- The Burning World (1989) - Album - rated 3.51/5
- Anonymous Bodies in an Empty Room (1990) - Album - rated 3.21/5
- White Light From the Mouth of Infinity (1991) - Album - rated 4.43/5
- Body To Body Job To Job (1991) - Compilation
- Love of Life (1992) - Album - rated 3.94/5
- Omniscience (1992) - Album - rated 3.67/5
- The Great Annihilator (1995) - Album - rated 4.32/5
- Kill the Child: 1985,1986,1987 Live (1995) - Album
- Soundtracks For The Blind (1996) - Album - rated 4.47/5
- Die Tür ist zu (1996) - EP - rated 4.06/5
- Children of God · World of Skin (1997) - Compilation - rated 4.07/5
- Swans Are Dead (1998) - Album - rated 4.64/5
- Various Failures (1999) - Compilation - rated 4.31/5
- Cop / Young God · Greed / Holy Money (1999) - Compilation - rated 4.26/5
- Filth / Body to Body, Job to Job (2000) - Album - rated 4.25/5
- Forever Burned (2003) - Compilation - rated 3.65/5
- My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky (2010) - Album - rated 3.87/5
- The Seer (2012) - Album - rated 4.36/5
- We Rose From Your Bed With the Sun in Our Head (2012) - Album - rated 3.92/5
- Not Here / Not Now (2013) - Album - rated 3.89/5
- To Be Kind (2014) - Album - rated 4.27/5
- Oxygen (2014) - EP
- A Little God in My Hands (2014) - Single - rated 3.99/5
- White Light From the Mouth of Infinity / Love of Life (2015) - Compilation - rated 4.19/5
- Screen Shot (2015) - Single - rated 4.11/5
- The Gate (2015) - Album - rated 4.24/5
- The Glowing Man (2016) - Album - rated 4.38/5
- Deliquescence (2017) - Album - rated 4.47/5
- It's Coming It's Real (2019) - Single - rated 3.86/5
- Leaving Meaning. (2019) - Album - rated 4.02/5
- What Is This? (2019) - EP
- Is There Really A Mind? (2022) - EP
- The Beggar (2023) - Album - rated 4.14/5
- Paradise Is Mine (2023) - Single - rated 3.94/5
- Live Rope (2024) - Album - rated 4.58/5
- Birthing (2025) - Album - rated 4.22/5
- I Am a Tower (2025) - Single - rated 4.19/5
- Newly Sentient Being (2026) - Album - rated 4.19/5
Members
- Michael Gira - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards (1981–Present)
- Norman Westberg - guitar, vocals (1983–Present)
- Kristof Hahn - guitar, lap steel guitar, backing vocals (1989–Present)
- Larry Mullins - drums, percussion, Mellotron, backing vocals (1995–Present)
- Phil Puleo - drums, percussion, dulcimer, backing vocals (2010–Present)
- Christopher Pravdica - bass, backing vocals (2010–Present)
- Dana Schechter - bass, lap steel guitar, keyboards (2019–Present)
- Jonathan Kane - drums (1981–1983)
- Roli Mosimann - drums, percussion (1982–1984)
- Harry Crosby - bass (1983–1986)
- Jarboe - vocals, keyboards, piano (1985–1997)
- Algis Kizys - bass (1985–1995)
- Ted Parsons - drums (1985–1994)
- Vincent Signorelli - drums (1989–1992)
- Clint Steele - guitar (1990–1997)
- Bill Rieflin - drums, keyboards, guitar, bass (1994–1996)
- Thor Harris - drums, percussion, vibraphone, hammered dulcimer (2010–2019)
- Paul Wallfisch - keyboards, piano (2016–2019)