In excellent condition.

Swell is a band formed in San Francisco in 1989 when David Freel (vocals/guitar) and Sean Kirkpatrick (drums) decided to record an album.

The band recorded a self-titled debut album and released it on Freel's own pSychosPecificMusic label in April 1990. Swell's influences range from 80's post-punk bands, Pink Floyd to folk, noise pop and Ennio Morricone film scores.

Freel, Kirkpatrick and Mark Signorelli (bass) spent the summer of 1990 busking on the streets of Europe, mainly in Spain. They returned to the States in time to pick up a support slot for Mazzy Star at San Francisco's I-Beam. But before they even played this first US show, Signorelli moved to New York City and passed bass duties on to Monte Vallier, and John Dettman-Lytle had joined as a second guitarist.

This configuration toured around California during the fall of 1990. By early 1991 their booking agent in Belgium was calling them back to Europe to play shows in France, Germany and the Benelux.

That same year they recorded a second album, ...Well?, which was released in February 1992, also on the pSychoSpecificMusic label. Though Dettman left the band soon after, Freel, Kirkpatrick, and Vallier carried on, receiving an offer from Def American to give ...Well? a wider release one year after its first issue.

Adding guitarist Tom Hays following the sojourn of Pete Vogl on guitar, Swell kept up a heavy touring schedule of Europe and the US. They began recording their third album, 41, in 1992. It was released by American in November 1993. In 1993 Niko Wenner (Oxbow, Jellyfish) replaced Hays, and toured with the band on guitar, backing vocals, and keyboard through 2003. Subsequent albums include 1997's Too Many Days Without Thinking and 1998's For All the Beautiful People. The latter album included Wenner on guitar and backing vocals, and Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Laika, Spleen) on drums.

Send me a message if you want all their CDs and I will offer them at a better price for you.