By Wouter De Sutter
A tribute to David Freel (1958-2022)
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get” Forrest Gump said in the print of the same name. A hell of a one-liner. Albeit one in two chunks. Expect the unexpected, but better worded.
Exactly the same feeling came over us when the message came in that the Californian band Swell is being lifted from the dust after 15 years of radio silence. For the ultimate European tour. Conceived as a salute to David Freel. The enigmatic singer-songwriter and frontman of the band. Passed away unexpectedly last year.
Swell was founded in 1989 in San Francisco by him and drummer Sean Kirkpatrick. With more ambitions than possibilities. Averse to the fads of the moment – grunge, rap metal and Madchester were not for the duo – a distinctive, recognizable ambient sound was created in the following years.
Not always a conscious choice because it is also the result of working with limited resources. Initially having little understanding of recording technique did the rest. A lot of trial and error, but the output sounded wonderfully good. Freel was sometimes called ‘the godfather of lo-fi’ because of that unorthodox DIY approach. Something he could always laugh about. Mostly he was himself.
Swell’s music combined the best of post-punk, psychedelia, folk and film scores against a backdrop of mysterious sounds. Sounded simple most of the time. But never simple. So deceptively simple. The band sound showed echoes of widely varying influences. Everything from Joy Division over Pink Floyd and Bowie to Morricone. This makes it difficult to catalog or compare with other bands. Not-fitting-in-a-box (wanting to fit) has played a major part in the band until the end. How do you also promote a wayward band that does not tolerate a label?
Be that as it may; with the first three full-lengths (‘Swell’, ‘…Well’ & ’41’) Freel & co invariably garnered jubilant reviews. They are among the best the group has produced in its 20 years of existence. And deserve a place in every record cabinet.
It was not limited to that, because Swell released a total of eight albums, in addition to two compilations, a large number of singles, EPs, mini albums, etc. Obviously on various labels on both sides of the ocean, including its own ‘pSycho-SPecific’ label. The discography can be called a chaotic mess.
Commercial success largely failed to materialize despite the deal with major American (Rick Rubin), intensive touring and visits to several radio stations, MTV, French and Spanish (national) television, etc. We would almost forget the session with the legendary John Peel.
The band had a small but persistent fan base in Europe. In the Humo guide to the Pukkelpop Festival (1998 edition) it was painfully accurately described as follows: “Swell,…one of those ensembles that have fifty loyal fans in every civilized country and have to be content with that”. It couldn’t possibly be worded any better.
In Belgium, the band played twice at Pukkelpop – organizer Chokri was a fan – and also at Rock Herk, the Dour Festival and the Cactus Festival. In the club circuit there were several performances in Botanique. Somehow the band was very popular in France for several years. The contrast with the lack of success and recognition in the US could not be greater. For every American fan, the band had 100 French fans, it seemed.
In the late 1990s, the fat was off the soup. The intended big breakthrough failed to materialize and Swell slowly but surely morphed into David Freel’s solo project, who, eccentrically and stubbornly, continued to follow his own course. Musically he moved further and further in the direction of dark folk over the years.
Until 2008 he remained active under the name Swell. Then under the name Be My Weapon. Including bizarre samples and other crazy sounds. Greasy, the highly experimental last album, was released in 2014. Freel then stopped appearing in studios or on stages and threw himself full-time on ‘Vynil On Demand’. A record store that he ran with his partner Jen until disaster struck last spring.
For the upcoming tribute tour, all veterans will band together one last time under the direction of drummer Sean Kirkpatrick. Also present: John Dettman (guitar), Niko Wenner (guitar & keys) and Monte Vallier (bass). John Dettman, who left the band 30 years ago, takes care of the vocals.
Swell will be on stage at Easter (April 9) in Brussels, at Botanique. Also the first concert of the two-week tour. A tour that your servant, last fan standing, will experience very closely. Never too many roadies and stage hands at such companies. Hence.
After the Botanique three more shows will follow in Germany, six in France, one in the Netherlands (Maastricht) and one in Spain where the plug is finally pulled from Swell. For those who can’t be there anywhere, this: the records remain very worthwhile so many years after release.