Swervedriver

Swervedriver formed in Oxford in 1989, Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge developing a sound that was heavier and more American-influenced than most of their Creation Records contemporaries. Where Ride and Slowdive were melodic and dreamy, Swervedriver were loud and riff-driven — influenced by Dinosaur Jr, Hüsker Dü, and American noise rock as much as by British shoegaze.

'Raise' (1991) was the debut — 'Son of Mustang Ford', 'Sandblasted', and 'Rave Down' established the template: heavy guitars, melodic vocals, and a relentless forward momentum. 'Mezcal Head' (1993) was even better — 'Duel', 'Blowin' Cool', and '99th Dream' showed a band who had fully mastered their sound. The album is now considered one of the finest of the shoegaze era.

The band split in 1998 after two further albums, but reformed in 2008 and have continued to record and tour. 'I Wasn't Born to Lose You' (2015) was a strong comeback album. Swervedriver's influence on subsequent generations of heavy, melodic guitar bands has been considerable — they are one of the most important bands that most people have never heard.