Biography
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Years Active
1997 – present (27 years)
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Founded In
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States
Rob Benedict - Lead Vocals & Guitar
Michael Borja - Bass & Vocals
Billy Moran - Guitars & Vocals
Stephen Norton - Drums & Vocals
LOUDEN SWAIN
By Nick DeRiso
Fronted by lead singer and actor Rob Benedict, Louden Swain also includes bassist Mike Borja, lead guitarist Billy Moran and drummer Stephen Norton. The band has just released its fourth full-length recording – Eskimo, on their own 3 Car Wreckords label.
This fizzy amalgam of sound ties together a wide array of influences. Benedict and Borja, who formed the band in the late 90s, shared a background of indie/college rock legends like R.E.M., the Pixies, Pavement and the Replacements. The addition of Moran completed the band’s sound, as he and Norton brought in early musical influences from the hard rock/metal world – notably Kiss and Gun ’n Roses. The quartet’s common ground, early on, could be found in classic rock icons like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Who – and that provided additional spices in their melting pot of musical textures.
Louden Swain’s first album with Moran, 2009’s A Brand New Hurt, reflected the earliest flowerings of the band’s current sound, and began to rapidly expand its fanbase. In addition, Benedict’s connections to the acting world – he’s appeared on TV’s “Felicity,” “Alias” and “Supernatural” and films like “Waiting” have also attracted attention for the band. Recently they penned the tune “Help You” which was placed in the Jenna Fischer movie “A Little Help,” in which Benedict co-starred. A 2011 successful tour of Europe through England, Germany and Austria also brought Louden Swain to new audiences.
Louden Swain now aims to build on their already considerable momentum with the forthcoming Eskimo, which features 13 of their most polished songs to date. This time through they enlisted the help of several industry veterens–the album was mixed by Joe McGrath (Ryan Adams, Green Day, B.B. King), Mike Farrell (Morrissey, Macy Gray) guested on keyboards, and the finishing touches on the album were provided by the Grammy winning mastering of Gavin Lurssen.
For more information on Louden Swain, go to http://www.LoudenSwain.com.
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