Interview by Bruno Polaroïd · Culturesco · September 17, 2026
Under the name Members of Swell, musicians from the cult American band will tour Europe this autumn, with several dates in France.
Swell was dormant when its frontman, singer and guitarist David Freel, died suddenly in April 2022. Since then, Sean Kirkpatrick, the band’s accomplished drummer and also a painter, has toured with members from different periods of the trio to honor his friend and keep their music alive. He shared a few thoughts with us…
Sean, which musicians will be joining you on this Members of Swell tour?
Tim Adams, the bassist David and I began writing with before forming Swell, plays on “Love You All” on our first album, and on “Word Gifts” and “War Comes Down” on Whenever You’re Ready. Philippe Gunst, a very talented Belgian guitarist, immediately seemed to us to fit the spirit of Swell on electric guitar. And then, of course, John Dettman-Lytle, one of Swell’s early members, on vocals and acoustic guitar. And finally… me on drums!
On your last visit, in 2024, you celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of 41—Swell’s masterpiece, released in 1994. This time, without giving away all the possible surprises, will you be focusing on particular songs or albums?
This tour will revisit the release of our second album, …Well? We’re reissuing it, and it will be available soon. We hope to sell some copies during the tour. Other records will also be available. This tour will be a little heavier because we’ll be playing more songs from …Well?, which is more rock-oriented than our other albums. It’s my favorite Swell album.
What is the band’s mindset ahead of this European tour?
The mindset remains the same: to represent Swell’s history for all our fans—very loyal fans—and enjoy doing it. It’s always an emotional experience, especially since this is the third tour since David’s death. There’s a kind of connection with him through the music we play onstage, and it often makes me a little sad.
Let’s talk drums, Sean! Which drummers made you want to get behind the kit? And which ones influenced your playing?
Stewart Copeland of the Police, John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, the famous jazz drummer Art Blakey, Pete de Freitas of Echo & the Bunnymen, and Sly Dunbar of Black Uhuru: all these musicians left a deep impression on me and had a considerable influence on my style. If you listen closely, you’ll notice that on …Well?, I borrowed a lot from Pete de Freitas’s solos. I was lucky enough to meet him once in Ireland after a concert. He was a lovely man. He died shortly afterward, I believe, in a motorcycle accident.
Rhythmically, you’re one of those drummers who has always looked for a different percussion line for each song. When you were creating the tracks, how did that work within the band, with David and Monte Vallier, Swell’s longtime bassist?
I’ve always been interested in less conventional pieces. I think working with David and Monte made that approach easier, because their music is a little offbeat, original, and has a flavor of its own. Often, we would record demos based on David’s ideas, then he would rewrite his parts around the drums that were now on tape.
We mainly composed on tape. That suited me perfectly because it allowed me to be meticulous, take my time, and develop rhythms, breaks, and accents that made an impact. I could analyze them much more easily on tape than by playing live with all the surrounding noise.
And that extraordinary drum sound on Swell’s albums, particularly 41? Any revelations, or is it still a secret?
I remember our first studio sessions for the self-titled album, Swell… I didn’t want the usual production, with tons of reverb, compression, and other effects on the drums. Our San Francisco studio also had an enormous room for recording drums: an old warehouse at 41 Turk Street.
I wanted the acoustics of the room to come through in the drum sound and in the songs. We placed the microphones at a distance, never too close, and after a day of experimenting, we generally found the sound we were looking for. Then it was crucial not to touch the microphones again!
How does your artistic approach to painting compare with your approach to music? Some of your paintings appear on Swell’s album covers.
Just as with drumming, I don’t want to paint the obvious. What really interests me is atmosphere. Color has always been an essential part of my paintings, but lately I’ve been favoring subtlety over color. I prefer to let viewers interpret my paintings rather than impose a precise vision on them.
Any news about your side project, The World Is Haunted?
The World Is Haunted is, of course, my solo project, with two albums to my name. I’ll be selling them during the tour. Yes, I’m still writing songs, but my personal life is very busy at the moment. I live in England part-time, which takes a certain amount of commitment, so I’ve had less time to record. I have enough songs for an album that will come out in 2027.
And what are you listening to at the moment?
I’m always listening to classical music. I like the baroque style—quieter and more relaxed, less dramatic. I love jazz from the ’50s and early ’60s, old Delta blues from the ’20s and ’30s, and I’m always looking for little-known bands on YouTube. I don’t really listen to popular music. I used to like Fontaines D.C., but lately I’ve grown tired of them. Among the bands I like that you’ve probably never heard of are Ruby Haunt and Frank Enk, also from San Francisco, whose voice recalls Serge Gainsbourg with a touch of dark indie.
I like the Allah-Las, old New Order records—nothing after Power, Corruption and Lies—Margaritas Podridas, a Mexican band that puts Sonic Youth to shame, and Headland, a band that makes music for surf films. And I like Damon Albarn’s solo projects.
Oh, and reggae and dub from reggae’s golden age: 1973–1981. I’ve also rediscovered the extended version of Japan’s “Life in Tokyo.” Coincidentally, it had a big influence on my drumming on Swell’s “Kinda Stoned.”
This European tour is being announced as the last one…?
It’s not really billed as such, but it feels like it. It’s a colossal amount of work, and I think it’s becoming increasingly difficult to let our audience know that we’re playing. As a result, I don’t think even half of them can make it to the concerts. I think it’s a question of age: they’re not as active on social media, so they don’t know we’re here.
We’ll see how enthusiastic the response is. If lots of people come, then perhaps we’ll return. I hope to see you!
Thank you, Sean!
With thanks to Cathi Mini. Interview by Bruno Polaroïd. Featured photograph: Sean Kirkpatrick by Cathi Mini.