Swervedriver

Swervedriver formed in Oxford, England in 1989, occupying a heavier, more riff-oriented corner of the shoegaze scene. Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge built a guitar sound that owed as much to classic rock and American indie as it did to the effects-laden textures of their Creation Records peers. Their 1991 debut Raise combined the volume and distortion expected of shoegaze with a forward momentum and rhythmic drive that drew comparisons to road movies and open highways. Mezcal Head in 1993 expanded their palette with more dynamic arrangements and tighter songwriting. The band were dropped by Creation during the Britpop era and eventually disbanded in 1998. A reunion from 2008 onwards produced new material including I Wasn't Born to Lose You and Future Ruins, both well received as natural extensions of their earlier work rather than nostalgic retreads.