Swerve - Ruin Your Day

“There are hints of Radiohead and Teenage Fanclub lurking in the wings. But Swerve are more than a collage of influences, landing on something that is unique to this time and this band.” –PopMatters

“’Escape’ skillfully mixes the best in American alt-rock with ’90s-fueled Cool Britannia” –Vanyaland

“Swerve’s music blends eras and styles of guitar rock — the urgency of vintage punk rock and ’90s indie mixed with chiming psych-rock and Britpop” – Buzzbands LA

“The L.A. group Swerve serve up a set of slashing, punk-ish rock songs, every sugary hook delivered with a visible sneer.” – Bandcamp (New and Notable) 

“’Ruin Your Day’ fittingly encapsulates the band’s ethos into a single track一a politically-minded reflection, a ripping, amped-up instrumental, and a punk love song, all rolled into one.” – Under The Radar 

“Ruin Your Day” follows up the band’s single “Maybe I Didn’t Do That,””Little Rich Kids,” “Escape” and “My Enemy Is Dead.” The singles have been well received by press, catching the ears of American Songwriter, PopMatters, Vanyaland, Glide Magazine, Loudwire and more. “Escape” reached #1 on the KROQ Locals Only Chart and stayed in rotation for seven weeks. 

Swerve is Gregory Mahdesian (vocals and guitar), a former Classicist and progressive political organizer, his college friend Ryan Berti (guitar and vocals) and Brandon Duncan (bass and vocals), an audio engineer and protégé of Bob Clearmountain (Bowie, Roxy Music, and Bruce Springsteen). Drummer Mark Gardner, joined in 2018, solidifying the lineup.

After self-producing their first two EPs, which achieved success on the radio and built them a dedicated following in their hometown of LA, the band decided to hire a producer to help them craft a full-length. Unfortunately, their first attempt didn’t go well: An indie-pop producer’s techniques and sonic pallets clashed with their songs’ intensity, and they decided to regroup and try again.

Luckily they were put in touch with producer Adam Lasus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Army Navy, Helium), who had crafted some of their favorite records from their teenage years, and they instantly bonded with him over a shared love of artists like Teenage Fanclub, the La’s and The Replacements. Adam helped the band lean into rather than shy away from their influences, pump up the volume, and tap into a raw live energy while tracking. His collection of nearly 100 vintage guitars helped get them in the spirit.

Writing most of the album between 2018 and 2020, Gregory found himself composing politically minded love songs. “Ruin Your Day,” “Escape,” “Bush v Gore” (the band contends we all live in the wreckage of that fateful Supreme Court decision) and “End of the World” each touch on themes of finding meaning in companionship while everything else is falling apart. Some songs are less optimistic in spirit, discussing fears of never achieving what you expected you would (“Disassociate”) and failing relationships (“Do You Want To Give In?”, “Maybe I Didn’t Do That”), but they’re all tied together by massive melodies, memorable guitars, and infectious rhythm. The band feeds off of live energy and always wants their music to be fun, even when the themes are weighty.