We don't want to be dramatic here, but the sound of Swallowed Sun is the sound we've been missing out on for too long. The first track we listened to by Swallowed Sun was "Strange Motions", and we instantly fell in love. We can probably count on two hands the amount of alternative rock/indie bands that have gave us a certain kind of resonance and fullness when listening to their music. Swallowed Sun is undoubtedly one of those bands, adding to our short (but sweet) list of favorite alt rock bands. Their sound is crisp. Their sound is powerful without being too intense. Their sound is perfect for the musical climate of today. Based out of Atlanta, Swallowed Sun contributes to the music scene in an extraordinary way, and like we said, we only regret not listening to their music earlier!
The sound of Swallowed Sun's most recent album is absolutely as raw and pure as it gets. "Travelers" showcases the vocalism of Savannah Walker, the crisp and flawless execution of bass from Caleb Hambrick, and the underlying savoury beat of drummer Aaron Hambrick. Swallowed Sun is the kind of band any alternative rock/indie music lover can vibe with. The track can reach out in so many various ways, amusing the musical tastebuds of pretty much anyone. "Travelers" is both soft and heavy-hitting at various points throughout the song. We love tracks that can give us a sense of peace, but also pulsate through our blood--what a mix of emotions Swallowed Sun gives us! The band clearly knows what their sound is, and allow listeners to resonate with their music in such an extended way. "Travelers" will have you feeling upbeat with its surging rhythm. We feel completely refreshed with their music, which is such a hard goal to reach with music--to be able to completely transform the mood of the listener with your music takes a lot of musical skill and authenticity. Swallowed Sun is as authentic as it gets, and their tone cannot be missed out on (seriously, we're advocating for their music 100% here as predominantly alternative music lovers).
"Travelers" is available for streaming here, and Swallowed Sun's exclusive interview can be found below!
Hey Swallowed Sun! What an incredible sound you're all able to curate! Can you introduce yourselves to our listeners, as well as explain what kind of tone you all reach for within your music?
Thank you! I’ll start by introducing the band! My name is Savannah Walker and I’m the singer/ rhythm guitarist. Aaron Hambrick is on drums and Caleb Hambrick is on bass. We were introduced to each other by a mutual friend in the fall of last year, and we immediately clicked. We come from drastically different musical backgrounds, and it has shown to make a good combo. Aaron and Caleb grew up on progressive, fusion, and jazz music, where I grew up listening to rock and alternative. To begin with, I wasn’t sure what that combination of style would mean for us, but writing has ended up being a very natural process. We’ve never tried to tie ourselves down to one sound or box ourselves into a specific genre. The music we’re making now is a little bit heavy, a little bit funky, and very groovy. Honestly, I really love the sound we have and I hope everyone else does too.
As a group, do you ever find yourselves clashing on creative ideas while manifesting your music?
Not really! To this point, collaborating has been a very organic process. We know our sound when we touch on it and we usually roll with the first ideas we have. We each have our own stylistic approach to writing and we create our own parts, respectively. When I started this project, I knew I wanted everyone to do their own thing. When you approach it that way, the music can write itself.
Can you tell us more about the meaning of your track “Travelers”? What inspired the writing process?
“Travelers” is a song about slowing down to appreciate the people and atmosphere around you. So often, we find ourselves partaking in this unnecessary race to move on to the next thing, person, or place, and we lose sight of the importance of everything currently around us. “Travelers” was only a set of lyrics for the longest time, until one evening when Aaron was attempting to teach me some theory and used the chord progression as an example. The song was still very empty until Brooks Mason (Eddie 9V), a friend of Aaron and Caleb’s, added the guitar. He gave it the Latin feel that it has now. Somewhere, buried deep in one of the room mic tracks, you can probably hear me yell “Play the samba!” before the guitar solo.
What are your live performances like? How is the crowd?
Live performances give us to opportunity to stretch the songs and play more than what you can hear in the recordings. It allows us, as the band, to have musical conversations between each other and that makes every show unique; the songs might never be played the same way twice. We try to involve the crowd as much as possible, and to leave them feeling good. It’s so rewarding to see people dancing to the music and enjoying themselves, and that makes us happy too. We’re always grateful for people giving us their time, and we attempt to play every show with that in mind.
What's up next for you guys as a band? Any upcoming shows and/or music for the rest of 2019?
Right now, we’re working on new material and I hope to have another single out by the end of November. You can find us playing around Atlanta, as I attend college here and I’ll be starting back in the fall. We keep the show calendar on our website up-to-date, as well as our Instagram and Bandsintown profile. Make sure to follow us on social media to stay updated on the newest releases and show dates!
Connect with Swallowed Sun on social media
www.instagram.com/swallowedsunband
www.twitter.com/swallowedsun