Once in a blue moon, something entirely new walks down the sidewalk.
There’s a blue moon out tonight.
Introducing: Swayze
Swayze’s debut is aptly titled, The Beginning. And there is one word to describe it – genuine.
The guitars and synths tap into funk, pop, and rock n’ roll. The lyrics touch on the bright and dark sides of love, self-awareness, freedom, and more. The vocals pull from the depths to bring swag, attitude, energy, and, above all, heart.
We connected with Swayze to learn more about the artist and The Beginning. When asked about the band name, he said, “Swayze just sounds cool. It’s got a Z in it for goodness sake. It instantly evokes the 80s. It’s masculine but has a more playful edge associated with humor, dancing, and romance.” The Beginning is certainly a personification of ‘Swayze.’
There’s more to the story, though. There was “analysis paralysis” when choosing a name, and at some point, it was time to pick a name and move forward. Inspiration from the 80’s legend – Patrick Swayze – was also at play. Patrick exemplified balance. Swayze told us he wasn’t like some other “hyper-masculine bags of testosterone” and “he always had an edge, but there was this beautiful philosophical underpinning to his characters that added a depth of understanding.” The Beginning embodies this very balance and depth.
Swayze said of the album title it is a declaration to the world the tale of Swayze is just getting started.
Swayze has been a musician most of his life. He grew up playing piano – hating it – but the light turned bright when he discovered rock n’ roll. He said, “I used to listen to classic rock radio in bed and just be blown away by how each and every song made me feel something different.”
He played in a punk rock band called Zombie Killers in high school, which he told us was a great way to get the cops to swing by. He also played in a band called Nuddhist Monks in college that had some success in the local scene.
The artist lives a nomadic lifestyle at the moment. He felt a need to create, and so the Swayze project was born.
The Beginning opens up with a steamy, window fogging classic, “Overdrive”, that’s as sexual as Dirty Dancing with a synth solo that dazzles like Patrick strutting across the dance floor. The intro to the song plays for over a minute before busting into a funky, sticky bass line, an ode to those classic rock inspirations. The vocals rival our glam rock heroes of the past and capture the heat of the moment with lyrics such as, Push down the pedal, and put our love in overdrive. The need for each other is all that we have tonight!
The tapestry Swayze will paint starts to come into focus on “Sidewalk,” and the listener begins to hear the scope of the soundscape on The Beginning. The song is fun, funky, and pop infused. It taps into the obsession side of love and plays like a juke box at a 50’s diner, bringing to memory John Travolta dancing down the street while singing to Sandy in Grease. The lyrics show humor, such as Oh my God, I think she might be the one. Wait what? Hold on. Watcha mean you don’t like my songs? and are clever, such as You’re as hard to read as a book at night.
More of the colors Swayze paints his tapestry with start to come through on “Your Love is Like a Lone Wolf”, which introduces a heavier edge in the bass line and vocals. The song elicits images of late 80’s MTV rock videos, such as singing in the fog in the back alley behind the bar under a neon light, a lone motorcyclist on a desert highway at dusk, or your lover gathering their items before leaving your trailer in the morning.
What is remarkable about The Beginning is it sounds like an entire band is playing. Swayze said he was inspired by Chromeo, a duo who made funk with synthesizes and a DAW and sounded as if a whole band was playing. “They were the role model I needed to light out on my own”, Swayze said of the duo.
The songwriting on The Beginning has been influenced by a wide variety of artists and styles. Swayze said, “The Beatles or The Clash or Jimi Hendrix – the attitude of rock n’ roll is so infectious for me. And the songwriting was out of this world. I believe that the heyday of rock n’ roll was the ultimate combination of art and pop. I’d like to convey that in my music. I also happen to love bluegrass, Rick James, and The Cacophony Society of San Francisco.”
Swayze has been inspired by synth-based music as well, especially “80’s synth-based music created by black musicians. Zapp and Roger, Rick James, Ray Parker Jr: These guys were using synths to make FUNK. And it hits me right in the heart.”
But the Swayze sound all came together when he mentioned the influence of Prince. In characterizing Prince, Swayze said, “Flamboyish, outrageous, controversial, sexual, fun, serious – Prince represents all of the paradoxes and complexities of being a human that I love.” He went on to say, “Prince was insanely musically talented and played most instruments on his records” and “watching him and learning from his music and persona is like connecting with a guiding spirit.”
The Beginning is brimming with catchy melodies. To gain insight into their origins, we asked Swayze to shed a bit of light on his songwriting approach. He said he might find a catchy melody in the shower or while walking down the street. He said those are the best and the rhythm and harmonies follow. In reality, however, he usually develops a guitar riff or a few chords on a keyboard that have some feeling, and then he starts crafting from there.
Swayze said he very rarely starts with drums and never aims for a vibe. “Any song that I’m writing stems from an idea, be it melodic or harmonic or instrumental or lyrical. I think of songwriting more as “channeling”. I think it was Neil Young (one of my all-time favorites) who mentioned that when a person writes a song, they should get out of the way as much as possible. To me, the song takes on a life of its own.” He went on to say, “More often than not, it will develop organically and naturally into what it was destined to be. I’m just honored that the idea came my way.”
Swayze taps into his philosophy on life when writing songs, which “Nothing on Me” exemplifies. Swayze said, “It’s a prideful, almost arrogant song, about a person who is so comfortable and confident in themselves, that absolutely no one in the world has got anything on them. It doesn’t matter what they say or do, or how much better their job pays, or how outwardly and materialistically they are more successful– they have inner peace of mind because they know who they are and who they want to be. I like that idea. I find it incredibly empowering.”
Swayze also brings theatrics. “A Little Story” opens with people crying out, “Hey Swayze! Tell us a story.” Swayze is the storyteller and plays the character of the boy and girl, accentuating the tension between them. She says, I still love you baby! You’re the only one for me and he says, Well if I told you once, I’ve told you twice. I’m better off being me. And if I told you once, I told you twice, get your hands off of me! Oh baby just let me be free!
Swayze’s capacity to animate his vocals shine on The Beginning, and “I Don’t Believe in Love” is no exception. The lyrics tap into the notion love can treat you bad and as tempting as it can be, perhaps it’s best to stay away, with lyrics such as, Well I’m sorry babe I don’t believe in love. Once you get you some, you just can’t get enough.
Swayze told us, “I once joked that every Swayze song is about a girl. It was a jest at the time, but I’m afraid it’s true looking at the whole record!” I was initially drawn to Swayze’s music because the emotion is high. We turn to music from emotion, and we get emotion from music. Swayze said, “Love and heartbreak are intensely emotional experiences and I’m not surprised that my songs often happen to be about those things.”
“The Beginning” is a big closer. It injects emotion right into your veins. It opens with a guitar solo, which is exceedingly rare, bold, and energizing. The lyrics bring the notion of transition to mind as well as awareness of the well-known truth the beginning of something new is also necessarily the end of something old. The lead guitar work on “The Beginning” shines. I was struck by the feeding of the last guitar solo into a lead guitar rhythm that plays under the chorus that follows. The energy is at full throttle. “The Beginning” will prompt you to press that ‘repeat button.’
The lyrics on “The Beginning” feel deeply personal. I hear messages of being true to yourself, yet I hear something bigger than the self. Take the following lyrics for an example, I believe that I can’t fight this funky feeling and I believe that I can unite the minds of reason. With a heart and soul of feeling, I’ve got to try.
Swayze told us, “I hope my music can give the people what they want, but also have a depth that is true to myself and seeks a higher purpose than just pleasing the masses.” A strong theme on The Beginning is “freedom to be oneself.” Swayze said, there is a “responsibility to recognize who you truly are. I believe we live in a time when it has never been easier to be influenced by others or culture or the zeitgeist of the time. But I also believe we live in a time when you can be fiercely independent and overcome your societal programming. Much of my life has been a battle against what others think I should be and do, and instead accept who I am deep inside.”
Have you ever created something and felt it could be better? Swayze is no different. When asked how he might describe The Beginning as a listener, he turned toward his inner critic. He said, “If I heard The Beginning as a fan, I would notice how it could sound better. I always do this with music and honestly, it’s something I’m trying to get away from.” He told us, “It’s not the greatest production and sound engineering, there are moments when my voice falters, or my guitar playing is out of time.” Swayze went on to say, “I believe every part, every instrument, every melody and harmonic idea, should serve the song. I’m not quite there, but I think my songs are pretty good. Especially in a scene that is centered around “vibes” and “moods” and “feels”. I want to transcend that and I think I got at least close here.”
You are as original as your music, Swayze. Namaste