Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Hello my name is Duane “DT” Jones. I am the guitarist and founder of the hard rock band Swirl. The current line-up features my brother Brian “Bam Bam” Jones on the drums, Alfred Ramirez on lead vocals and Shane Carlson on bass. Shane and I share backing vocal duties live. 2018 marks the 10-year anniversary of Swirl.
Swirl was started in the Pacific Northwest in a town called Mukilteo, WA. I began writing and rehearsing the band with the intention of recording our debut release in Santa Monica, CA. Just days before we were scheduled to leave WA to record our now former drummer called to say he would not be able to make the trip which resulted in me calling Brian to drive over from AZ and track the drums.
While in Santa Monica, CA Carlos Cavazo stopped by to check on how the sessions were coming along and was so impressed he offered to produce the debut release if we moved the recording sessions to Burbank, CA. Naturally we agreed and relocated to MT studios. The bass player developed a bit of anxiety while recording in from of MT Studios owner and former Rough Cutt bassist Matt Thorr so Matt stepped in and tracked all the bass parts for the 13 songs. We ended up with a Grammy nominated engineer and professional bassist working along side the multi- platinum song writer in Carlos to create the ‘Out of Nowhere’ release. Swirl toured the US and Japan in support of ‘OONW’.
Tragedy stuck the Jones family in the form of cancer claiming the life of our father which led to a work stoppage and eventual band break up.
After a 2-year mourning period and a relocation to Southern California I was ready to pursue music again. I received an invite from former Dio keyboardist Claude Schnell to work with a band he was preparing to produce a demo for. That band included Alfred Ramirez on vocals and Shane Carlson on bass. A few live shows later a friend of mine suggested Alfred would sound really good on Swirl songs so we entered a studio with Cinderella drummer Fred Coury to record two songs called “Mad Disease” (Sleepwalker) and “Time to Fly” (Adrenaline). The latter was particularly well received and led to immediate tour offers. Brian rejoined Swirl and the three of us recruited Shane to round out the Swirl line-up. We spent a solid year on tour covering over 50,000 miles as the support act for Cinderella, RATT, Extreme, Bulletboys, Souls of We, Slaughter, Skid Row, Red Dragon Cartel and LA Guns to name a few.
What’s the origin of the band’s name?
On that drive from WA to CA for the initial recording sessions the three of us were tossing out band names when I suggested Swirl. At the time I was referring to the nationalities of the band members with a French-Canadian singer, Caucasian bass player and African American guitarist. “Swirl” flowed better than calling the band The New United Nations.
Little did I know then that “Swirl” would come to mean so much more as the band has evolved throughout the years. It still works regarding the visual appeal/ image of the band, but it also reflects the way we bring our varied influences to make the music and even the exchange of energy with our audience live. It`s all encompassing and is the perfect name for what we are about.
Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Swirl is now based out of Southern California with Brian and I in Temecula (wine country) while Alfred and Shane are in the Pasadena area.
There are a ton of great bands here in Southern California including Motorbone, Beyond Retaliation and our Rock Avenue Records USA label mates Stone Breed to name a few.
How would you describe your style?
We are a straight up rock band. In a day and age where everything is labeled, what makes us unique is that we have crossover appeal and that allows for us to play with just about anybody. Whether its Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal or Alternative, we have a little bit of all of it in our sound. Hence the name Swirl.
What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
The debut ‘Out of Nowhere’ release, an EP called ‘Timeline”, the ‘SWIRL’ EP which features 3 songs included in the movie ‘Ditch Day’ (2017) and in January 2018 a single called “The Lift” which has catapulted the band to another level of visibility. Between the ‘Ditch Day’ movie being released in 6 countries with more coming and “The Lift” being picked up on radio in over 30 countries it has been an amazing last 18 months for Swirl.
SWIRL "The Lift" Lyric Video- https://youtu.be/xaBMGg0ACYo
"The Lift" which has reached #1 seven times on Indie rock radio in the US and #4 on Banks Radio Australia in just the first 23 weeks of 2018, while never dipping below #7 in that time. That song also debuted at #13 in Scotland as well. "The Lift" comes to you fresh on the heels of a very successful 2017 campaign for the band`s 7 song EP titled 'SWIRL', of which the band has 3 songs featured in the award-winning movie 'Ditch Day'. This film stars Emmy Award winning actor Bill Oberst Jr., and took home the "Best Feature Film" Award at the Burbank International Film Festival. (http://thefilmditch.com/music-artists/). The songs are "Rise Up", We Are Alive" and "Spell".
SWIRL "Rise Up" Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RhbgL5Cv0&t=11s
Rather than us tell you what to think we ask that you check it out for yourself and tell us. The reviews have been nothing short of amazing though;
"The Lift is an almighty, melodic rock and roll song from a band who play and perform to a brilliantly high level"
“…somewhat reminiscent of a heavier U2 albeit with a pop-punk edge”
"The Lift"- "the track positively teems with life"
"they sound like an amalgamation of Slipknot and AC DC,"- The Huffington Post
“Sometimes a gem just falls into your lap and that’s exactly what’s going on here-“
“After listening to ‘SWIRL’ in its entirety it has lifted me up mood wise!”-
“…an interesting and diverse band to check out, as they combine the best of the past 20 years of American Rock/Hardrock”
Click here (http://www.reverbnation.com/socalswirl/press/) to see what the buzz is all about!
Do you have any new music in the works?
We are constantly working on new material and have been approached about another soundtrack opportunity for the summer of 2018.
How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
In late April 2018 we inked a deal with Rock Avenue Records USA to continue to promote the ‘SWIRL’ EP and “The Lift”. We are looking forward to touring in as many countries as we are gaining new fans.
Starting late summer and well into 2019 Swirl will be on the road!
What plans do you have for the future as a band?
We will continue to write, record, release and tour Swirl. The future is bright for us and we intend to continue to leave our mark on the music industry on a global scale. Whether it`s the Huffington Post, The Examiner, various Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal magazines or websites, radio or touring we have been incredibly blessed to have our efforts so far recognized as we continue to grow the Swirl name.
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
SWIRL website- http://www.swirltheband.com/
SWIRL Twitter- https://twitter.com/Swirltheband
SWIRL Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/swirltheband/
SWIRL Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/swirltheband
SWIRL Soundcloud- https://soundcloud.com/swirl-dt
SWIRL Reverbnation- http://www.reverbnation.com/socalswirl
SWIRL YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/swirlgtr
What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
We understand that it is our fans that have put us in this position so we are very grateful, thankful and respectful to all the members of “The Swirl Society” whether that is the newest inductees or a long-time supporter.
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