From the ashes of underground Adelaide
outfits Ajemaluda
and Cyclops rose
Sydney three-piece Harvey
Swagger Band – a group which delivers the best raw qualities of
those earlier bands in a package which is at once remarkably its own.
With a sound as much
fuelled by blues and country as it is by rock’n’roll, Harvey and the
Langman brothers, Aaron and Marcus, combine effortlessly, drawing on
their past collaborative experiences. For a three-piece, the
band’s agility and fullness of sound are impressive - HSB offers songs
which can be either rich and almost folk-like in texture, or bare and
swampy, allowing the band members room to show their wares.
Having now matured into
seasoned songwriters, Harvey and the band write songs which are
immediately meaningful and catchy to the ear, showing the depth of
their creative abilities.
The band’s first demo
recording, released in mid-2004, received positive responses from the
Sydney music community. The rollicking Fast & Loose was placed on
high rotation by Sydney radio station, FBi, proving the band had
arrived. Harvey Swagger Band also featured on the local Sydney
compilation Live at the Cat: Vol 2 (under its former band name, the Swagger)
after a run of shows at Balmain’s Cat & Fiddle Hotel. The
band now plans to release its much anticipated second demo recording in
early 2007. (See the ‘Audio’ section of this site for a
preview)
It is, however, in a live
setting that HSB produces its best work, performing with the kind of
energy and flexibility necessary for a skilful three-piece. The
band has performed at venues throughout Sydney, including the Hopetoun
Hotel, the Cat & Fiddle Hotel (as mentioned above) and the Mona
Vale Hotel. With a swag of new tunes and a fresh recording under
its belt you can expect to see more of the band in
2007.
Line-up
Harvey: Vocals/Bass/Acoustic
Guitar/Harmonica
Aaron Langman: Guitars/Bass/vocals
Marcus Langman: Drums
|
|
