Emerging from the deep dark suburbs of Adelaide around 2002, SWAYBACK was an Australian based rock band who saw the musical world as a sea of open G tunings, bottle neck slides, dodgy motels and cheap suits. Touting a punishing brand of hard-edged blues rock, SWAYBACK hit pubs of Adelaide town, brandishing unstylish haircuts, ill fitting fashions and sleep deprivation enhanced wrinkles, but with a wild live show that shocked everyone from the hardest rock pig to the youngest punk. SWAYBACK stole the show and kicked off the party wherever they went, like a bad uncle at a 21st, it was the last thing the upper echelon of the South Australian music industry wanted to see. The band was branded inappropriate, out of date, even arrogant and overly ambitious in its approach. So, cut out of the ‘big time’ locally, SWAYBACK hit the road in 2005 to become known as one of Australia’s most exciting and hard working live acts.
With its underground hit album “The Quest for Rock & Roll” in hand, SWAYBACK wore a groove in the Western Highway becoming one of Melbourne’s more prolific acts (shhh, don’t tell ‘em). Regular tours to Perth were also relished! Sporadic national radio play followed and crowds steadily increased with ‘that JJJ vibe’ about the band. Some local press called the band ‘connected’, but it was just hard work and clever promotion that made the band so popular. SWAYBACK supported a swathe of national and international rock acts, such as The Datsuns, The BellRays, Bob Log III, Eric Burdon and the Animals, The Lime Spiders, 67 Special, The Casanovas, The Exploders, The Vasco Era…somehow missing out on You Am I, Dallas Crane and the BDO, but they needed some small goals to aspire to (aside from impending world domination).
However, come 2007 “Jet’s out of date, rock and roll is past it, you guys are gone” the music industry cried, as a new new wave broke the shore, but it fazed SWAYBACK not. If they’d said the same thing about Hush instead of Jet, would it have put an end to AC/DC’s career in the 1970’s? Pfffft, doubt it. Surely substance over style would prevail? It steeled the band’s resolve to continue dazzling the kids nationwide. With this hard-nosed approach, the sound became harder too, but so did the toll, with long and gruelling schedules demanding. The departure and recruitment of members was constant throughout 2006 to 2008, but the band fought on. 2007’s “One Way Traffic” national tour was the band’s most ambitious project to date and a stunning prelude to the exciting new album due the next year. However, in 2008 time caught up with ol’ SWAYBACK, with family life gradually forcing the band, and its new album, into hiatus. It has remained since.
So, is there a comeback in the wings? Erm, not likely…sorry crew. However, new SWAYBACK related guff will appear from time to time, so drop in for a visit when you can. Til then, as the band would say…RAWK AWN!!!
"One Way Traffic" available through Half a Cow Records (www.halfacow.com.au), or via
"The Quest for Rock & Roll" available through Half a Cow Records (www.halfacow.com.au), or via
