How to get into Swans

By Jake Caserta

Swans is a band from New York City that spawned in the 1980s out of the ashes of the No-Wave scene. Their influence is everywhere in modern rock and metal music. If you are in any music spaces online you are likely to have seen an album cover of theirs or a review of their music. They currently have 16 albums, a few live and compilation albums, and over their 40-year history, have had over 35 members. This causes a lot of confusion so the best way to explain it is, that Swans is an experimental project led by vocalist and guitarist Michael Gira, their various members have had creative input but the main function of the band is to be Gira’s artistic project of progressivism and experimental music. A lot of their albums are incredibly long or confusingly noisy. No album sounds the same as the one before/after it. To make it easier their albums can be split up into distinct eras: The no-wave era, the gothic rock era, and the post-rock era, each is incredibly different from the other. 

Where should you start with swans: 

My answer will always be to take your time and check out one of their albums, but based on your personal preference for music there are various starting points so I’m going to break up the starting points into scenarios and feel free to identify with whatever scenario fits you best.

Scenario one: 

The No-Wave Era AKA “I’m a huge fan of Nine-Inch Nails and I like No-Wave” Start from the beginning. Their 1983 album “Filth” is intense and weird but listening to the progression of their sound is interesting and their starting album would be a good introduction for people who listen to adjacent bands. 

Scenario Two: 

The Gothic Rock Era, A.K.A. “I love The Cure!!!!” 

If you like Gothic rock or any related bands from the time, the best starting point is easily “The Great Annihilator.” Most songs on the album have a textbook structure and some are very catchy while others are atmospheric. It without a doubt represents their 80s era. 

Scenario Three: 

The Post Rock Era AKA “I watch Anthony Fantano and am on Music Twitter” Easily their most acclaimed album, “To Be Kind” is the perfect starting point for anyone who interacts with online music culture. It is long-winded and intense but my suggestion is to take your time. My first listen was split across two days but since then I have listened many times in single sittings. 

These 3 starting points are the best overall. If you enjoy these albums after listening, my advice is to check out these albums next to get more into them before you check out their entire discography: 

“Children of God”

“White Light from The Mouth Of Infinity”

“Soundtracks For The Blind”

“The Seer”

“The Glowing Man”

“The Beggar”

These are the essential Swans albums, all wildly different in members, genres, and messages but they are all amazing pieces of art that will live on for a long time.