FOR A FULLY UPDATED LIST OF TOUR DATES PLEASE CLICK HERE.
London, Ontario's Raised By Swans found a small but devoted international audience with the "beautiful, deeply compelling, cuts-you-to-the-core" sound (twowaymonologues.com) of its critically-acclaimed debut, Codes and Secret Longing, in 2005. The album reached #37 on the !earshot Canadian national campus charts, reaching #1 on several stations across the country.
January 2010 brought the release of Raised By Swans' long-anticipated second full-length album, No Ghostless Place, once again recorded, mixed and mastered by the inimitable Andy Magoffin (singer-guitarist for Two-Minute Miracles, producer of Great Lake Swimmers, Constantines, Royal City). Decoymusic named the "ambient and dream-like" album one of their most anticipated of 2010, while UK website crackintheroad.com wrote, "In the opinion of many, last years Hospice by Antlers was the bewitching, captivating masterpiece of the year, and whilst only a few months into this year, it would not be too forthcoming to suggest that the formidable, breathtaking No Ghostless Place could well steal their crown.”
Songs from both albums have made fans of some influential and well-respected filmmakers. Academy Award and Palm d'Or nominated director Atom Egoyan included three songs from Codes and Secret Longing in his film, Adoration (20 …
FOR A FULLY UPDATED LIST OF TOUR DATES PLEASE CLICK HERE.
London, Ontario's Raised By Swans found a small but devoted international audience with the "beautiful, deeply compelling, cuts-you-to-the-core" sound (twowaymonologues.com) of its critically-acclaimed debut, Codes and Secret Longing, in 2005. The album reached #37 on the !earshot Canadian national campus charts, reaching #1 on several stations across the country.
January 2010 brought the release of Raised By Swans' long-anticipated second full-length album, No Ghostless Place, once again recorded, mixed and mastered by the inimitable Andy Magoffin (singer-guitarist for Two-Minute Miracles, producer of Great Lake Swimmers, Constantines, Royal City). Decoymusic named the "ambient and dream-like" album one of their most anticipated of 2010, while UK website crackintheroad.com wrote, "In the opinion of many, last years Hospice by Antlers was the bewitching, captivating masterpiece of the year, and whilst only a few months into this year, it would not be too forthcoming to suggest that the formidable, breathtaking No Ghostless Place could well steal their crown.”
Songs from both albums have made fans of some influential and well-respected filmmakers. Academy Award and Palm d'Or nominated director Atom Egoyan included three songs from Codes and Secret Longing in his film, Adoration (2009) and two songs from No Ghostless Place, in his newest film Chloe (2010). The band also appears as itself in a scene in Chloe, which stars Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried and Liam Neeson. The band's appearance in the film has garnered them new fans all over the world.
"The musical environment they create is really soulful and there's a sense of emotional nourishment you get listening to the sound design of the pieces," said Egoyan in an interview on The Parallel Universe on CHRW radio. "I was completely overwhelmed with the songwriting and began thinking about using them in film from the moment I heard them."
"Violet Light" from Codes and Secret Longing is featured in novelist Douglas Coupland's film Everything's Gone Green (2007), voted Canadian Feature Film of the Year at the Vancouver International Film Festival. The song was included on the soundtrack CD for the film (Lakeshore Records) alongside such artists as Final Fantasy, The Golden Dogs, The Fembots, and Sloan.
The band will be touring throughout 2010 in support of No Ghostless Place, starting with a coast-to-coast tour of Canada happening in May.
The band's current lineup is songwriter Eric Howden (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Alex Wright (guitar), Andy Magoffin (bass), and Brady Parr (drums). Live, the band is supplemented by Ray Cammaert (keyboards) of the band Pink Moth. With a cross-Canada tour planned in May, Raised By Swans will be touring throughout 2010 in support of No Ghostless Place.
more critical acclaim for No Ghostless Place:
“‘We were young/We didn’t heed those things,’ Eric Howden quietly sings
in falsetto on opening track “We Were Never Young.” The first moment of No Ghostless Place
begins a journey through 13 moments of aural splendour, as themes of
fading youth and fleeting love evoke both mournful and triumphant
emotions. Raised By Swans have grown from their debut album, Codes and Secret Longing,
which was enjoyable, but not even close to their sophomore album’s
transcendent, angelic presence. “Hail of Arrows” is a heart-wrenching
song that has early Interpol guitar tones and a strong bass presence
keeping the beat. Listening to Howden sing, “But if we don’t shield
ourselves then we won’t have to fear the arrows,” creates an eerie sense
that anything is possible. The album has staying power, growing in
stature the more it’s listened to, as songs like “The Waiting’s Over”
and “The Past is the Prey” create contemplative fields that can raise
any grief-stricken spirit. This album cannot be missed. (1101)” – Exclaim! Magazine
“More than worth the wait….No Ghostless Place shimmers with emotion and fragile beauty. A+” – Scene Magazine
“It’s fair to say that Raised by Swans could be placed in the league of
those unsigned, unadvertised titans like the post-hardcore, mysterious
gods The Pax Cecilia, Sufjan Stevens-like Freelance Whales, or, until a
year and a half ago anyway, melodic death metal heroes Be’lakor. The
Canadian quartet’s debut Codes and Secret Longing in 2005 was
the kind of album that few might share in secret, a treasure that a
small number ever discovered. This year’s sophomore No Ghostless Place finds
the band developing their lush sound into a Clarity-era Jimmy Eat World
mixed in with a Final Straw-aged Snow Patrol concoction of sorts. While
that might sound interesting and appealing to many listeners as it
stands, throw in some post-rock guitar tones in the style of Explosion
In The Sky, and you have yourself something really promising. Whether
it’s the mournful, heartfelt tale of “Night Fighter” or the sheer bliss
of pop, hit-in-the-making “Hail Of Arrows”, [the band] has a way with
crafting a subtle, retrained happiness, or, in the case of the former,
bringing me to tears with a mere suggestion…..Raised By Swans are sure
to light up the unsigned underground.” – sputnikmusic.com
“[An] eerie, haunting atmosphere created from a fusion of slow-burning
melodies, breathy, pain-stricken vocals and beautifully crafted lyrics.”
– 3.5 out of 4” – Grayowl Point online review
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