SWERVE

Los Angeles-based band Swerve is excited to announce The Darkroom EP out June 21. The EP follows the band's acclaimed album Ruin Your Day. Swerve has shared their new single "Just Pretend" from the forthcoming EP which is on all digital platforms for any playlist shares.

On the song, the band's Greg Mahdesian says:

I want to start off by saying this song is not about our current partners, in case they happen to be reading this! “Just Pretend” came together in the studio as we were drinking mezcal, our beverage of choice, and talking about our younger and dumber earlier relationships. We channeled some post-punk into our Replacements DNA, and the bridge came together the day of recording. We always do our basic tracking live, so once we got it down there was no going back. We slathered that part in feedback and weird effects to give it a psych breakdown that pulls you into a different headspace before the chorus comes raging back in. We loved how that worked out and will probably do more off-the cuff-things like that in the next bunch of songs.

Swerve, the Los Angeles rock outfit led by Greg Mahdesian and Ryan Berti, made a significant mark on the guitar scene with their Adam Lasus-produced debut album, Ruin Your Day, in 2021. Full of ripping, catchy, dark, and politically-minded love songs, the album not only received acclaim from critics but also enjoyed consistent airplay nationwide. Notably, it produced three number 1 hits on their hometown station KROQ’s Locals Only Chart (“Escape,” “Ruin Your Day,” and “Ebbs and Flows”), and the station listed them as one of the top 10 bands in LA. After this success, they became an official Vox Amplifier artist and were praised by music legends like Alice Cooper and Matt Pinfield, who both played them on their respective radio shows.

Though momentum was building, they hit the brakes so Greg could focus on spending time with his newborn daughter. Despite his newfound commitments, they managed to fit in an orchestral, cinematic rendition of “Ebbs and Flows” and perform a sold-out get-out-the-vote show in 2022. When the band regrouped, their sound evolved into something leaner and more focused, leading to their new The Darkroom EP, produced by Adam Lasus and Jessica Rotter. This record, looking back on their wilder years, delves into the darkness of failing relationships and endless nights, and the need to be adored, fittingly culminating with a reimagined version of The Stone Roses classic.