A. Swayze & The Ghosts – ‘Paid Salvation’

❉ An excellently energetic and apt debut, writes Cori Ann Smith.

A Swayze & the Ghosts aren’t just a great band name. Don’t sleep on this addition to the wonderful resurgence of new punk bands of recent years. Perhaps the only silver lining of a chaotic political climate worldwide & late stage capitalism?

 I’ll take wins where I can get ‘em.

Hailing from Hobart, Tasmania & fronted by Andrew Swayze, the quartet hit the ground running, and with purpose.
Produced by Dean Tuza (Stella Donnelly), this debut is heaped with bouncy, urgent melodies and vented frustrations, the way it should be.

Photo Credit: Rick Clifford

The record manages to cover a myriad of topics at the forefront of a conscientious mind navigating the current world around us. Thoughtful punk bops, if you will. Of this, Swayze comments;

 I want the melodies and the instrumentals to be accessible for people from all sorts of backgrounds, but I also want everyone to fucking listen to what I’m saying as well. And I especially want young men to hear songs like ‘Suddenly’ and ‘It’s Not Alright’ and think about what they’re saying rather than just listening to them and going, ‘Yeah I’m all jacked up on this rock song!

Suddenly packs a mighty punch filled with melodic shout-along psych-punk, akin to King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, with urgent anthemic lyrics sung from a woman’s perspective that Swayze wants his fans to take note of.

Mess Of Me has a clash-esque style and vocals of a festival-ready sunny day hit.

Single Nothing Left To Do, has the peppy energy and rhythmic guitar of a Punk classic. A Love Song sprinkled with hints of riot grrrl dance-punk that’s as catchy as it is loud.

With snarling, roaring vocals & hardcore crescendos, Marigold tackles mob-rule and herd mentality in a time where we need to shout about it most, a great track, if a bit close to the bone!

Photo Credit: Rick Clifford

Sharing a record label with fellow Aussies Rolling Blackouts, Coastal Fever on Ivy League Records, Paid Salvation is out on the 18th September. An excellently energetic and apt debut!

In recent years, A. Swayze & The Ghosts have found themselves playing at several festivals.  Falls Festival, Splendour In The Grass, The Great Escape to name just a few. With this record and the U.K enthusiasm building, expect them in a field in the near you, when circumstances allow. Don’t sleep on these guys.


❉ A. Swayze & the Ghosts: ‘Paid Salvation’ released 18 September 2020 via Ivy League Records: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

❉ Cori Ann Smith is a writer for We Are Cult. A Cardiff-based Literature grad, Horror nerd & eclectic Indie cindy, you’ll mostly find her immersed in a book or in a festival crowd, usually with a beer. Perpetually working on a book of short stories… @coriflowercheez on Twitter.

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