Alternative Folk from The Early Swerve

Fresh on the London music scene, newcomers The Early Swerve is a band built on a creative partnership between best friends Dave Mackinnon and Essex Moorcroft. A fusion of Dave’s deft musicianship and Essex’s lyrical flair forms the foundation of this project, resulting in an entirely unique alternative folk sound.

Their music, described as gangster folk meets nu skiffle, draws from varied sources, blendning influences ranging from Skiffle and Latin Jazz to film soundtracks and 60s British Invasion bands. At the heart of The Early Swerve’s lyrical universe is a dark humour that brings to life modern ales inspired by shady characters and local folklore. This approach to storytelling offers listeners a glimpse into the grittier facets of their London backdrop.

The band’s journey began with a revolving door of local session musicians, echoing the early days of iconic groups like Steely Dan. As Dave Mackinnon puts it, “If you lived local and were any good, you did time in the Swerve.” The current live lineup finalised, featuring Jay Toomey on backing vocals and acoustic bass, Bill Snowden on backing vocals and drums and frontman Dave Mackinnon leading with vocals and acoustic guitar.

Heading to the studio, the band linked up with producer Ed Deegan at Gizzard Recording in Bow to start work on ten songs that are set to make up their upcoming debut record. The songs were all recorded and mixed exclusively using analogue equipment, capturing the band’s sound in a vintage aesthetic while adding female backing singers, piano and a string quartet on several tracks.

Bringing us the first taste of their recording sessions and unveiling their sound to the world, they bring us their brand new debut single titled “We Take Our Time.” Brought in by lively acoustic guitar strums, setting up a bluesy folk rock scene, the full band sound is brought in by the taps of hi hats, launching with shuffling drums, bouncy piano and bass notes as Dave threads vocal leads with a London twang backed by lush female voices.

At once timeless yet offering something entirely new, “We Take Our Time” sees The Early Swerve deliver a superb showcase of their songwriting talent, performance panache and thoroughly unique style. Capped by instantly memorable vocal hooks, driven by a grooving rhythm and backed by slick instrumental flourishes, the band presents a worthy debut single that builds up the excitement for their forthcoming first full-length release.

Listen to We Take Our Time below

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