“Flawed” by Swervedriver

Swervedriver’s debut album, Raise, turns 35 this year, and to mark the occasion, the shoegaze legends are releasing the album’s original demos. The Bandcamp notes contain a mini-essay about the recording process and experience, which took place during the fall and winter of 1990 and 1991.

So, what you hold in your hands in the results of all those weeks’ work. The audio quality is not pristine but considering our rudimentary recording skills and the technology available at the time, it was never going to be. You may hear an occasional bum note, or a dropped beat here and there. You will definitely hear the hiss of amplifiers and the buzz of FX pedals but most importantly what you will also hear are the songs as they first emerged, fresh and to all intents and purposes, played live. Some would undergo further refinement as the album recording progressed but this particular release is a time capsule, a document of a crucial period in the band’s development and as such it deserves to be shared. It contains the best moments of those original Portastudio tapes expertly tidied up, restored and balanced by persons eminently more qualified than ourselves. However, the result is still raw and immediate and takes you straight into that grimey rehearsal room in Camden Town during the winter of 1990/91.

To tease the demos’ release, Swervedriver have premiered “Flawed,” which didn’t actually appear on Raise, but rather, on 1991’s Sandblasted EP. Much like everything else on Raise, though, it’s a driving track that’s rowdier and more raucous than anything you’d have heard from Swervedriver’s fellow ‘gazers at the time.

The Raise demos will be released on October 23, 2026.

In related news, Swervedriver will also be embarking on a “Raise at 35″ tour throughout the U.S. and Canada. The first leg of the tour will be later this month, with the second leg following in December.