New Swears
New Swears announce ‘and the Magic of Horses’ LP, share “Dance With The Devil”
Ottawa’s New Swears have premiered a new track “Dance With the Devil” on Noisey as part of the announcement of their new LP and the Magic of Horses due out June 23rd on Dine Alone. The record follows their DIY release from 2014, Junkfood Forever, Bedtime Whatever, which received attention from publications like Pitchfork and Noisey, and, along with their raucous live shows, helped to establish a loyal audience for the band’s distinctive brand of high energy power pop.
“Dance With the Devil” retains the rough-and-tumble charm of the band’s earlier releases, but provides an example of the way New Swears have grown as a band on this record, refining their production and arrangements to reveal their considerable abilities as songwriters. “We wrote the song in an old Quebec cottage after a long night turned morning of beers and skipping stones,” bassist Sammy J Scorpion tells Noisey. “The cottage belonged to the devil himself, Buddy Smiles, who used to live on our couch and takes a guest verse on this song.”
[“Dance With the Devil” is] a typically raucous rip for a band that’s beloved for all the usual reasons. You know, like Jackass-level masochistic hooliganism and building halfpipes in their living room. – Noisey
With a title inspired by the classic adventure stories of the Hardy Boys, these songs combine the swagger of Thin Lizzy, the refined, hook-heavy songwriting style of Nick Lowe, and hazy country-fried laments in the vein of Kurt Vile, all delivered with the manic energy of the punk bands with whom they often share the stage.
The and the Magic of Horses recording sessions were overseen by Ottawa punk scene luminary Paul “Yogi” Granger, owner of pinball/pierogi bar House of TARG and producer of beloved albums by The White Wires, Steve Adamyk Band, and First Base. His guidance helped New Swears hone in their sharpest songs to date, matching a set of lyrics moving past the 24/7 party into existential musings on friendship, death, the afterlife, and what they hope to leave behind.
“Sustainability is the goal,” says Scru Bar. “We’ve been having so much fun doing what we’re doing over the past few years. Now that we’ve been given an opportunity to get a little more serious, it’s cool to see the impact of traveling to different cities and finding out that people were coming out to see us. We just want to keep going and going.”
“When we started this band, all we needed was a laugh,” concludes Sammy, quoting from the scripture of another motley crew. “Years gone by, I’d say we’ve kicked some ass.”
Tracklist
1. Dance With the Devil
2. Warm Bodies
3. Halos in Hell
4. Comfortably Hungover
5. 777
6. Le Poison
7. Cry a Lot
8. Vanilla
9. Race to the Grave
10. Walkin’ to Rockin’
Tour Dates
April 21 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison w/ Greys & Solids
June 23 – Ottawa, ON – House of TARG (All Ages)
June 24 – Ottawa, ON – House of TARG (19+)
