Current Swell

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Current Swell

| image = Current Swell Saint Asbury Park NJ 04072018 LHCollins v4sm.jpg

| image_size = 300px

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption = Current Swell on stage at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ April, 2018

| origin = Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

| genre = Indie Folk, Indie Rock, roots, blues, reggae, ska

| years_active = {{start date|2005}}–present

| label = Nettwerk

| associated_acts = Jon and Roy
Dope Soda
Funk Vigilante

| website = {{URL|http://currentswell.com/}}

| current_members = Scott Stanton
Dave Lang
Louis Sadava
Chris Petersen

| past_members = Ghosty Boy
Mike Quirke,
Kyle Robinson

}}

Current Swell is a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The band has released seven albums; So I Say, Trust Us Now, Protect Your Own, Long Time Ago,{{cite web |last1=Christian |first1=Lucy |title=Long Time Ago Review |url=https://entertainment-focus.com/2013/05/26/current-swell-long-time-ago-album-review/ |website=entertainment-focus.com |date=26 May 2013 |publisher=Entertainment Focus |access-date=2021-07-29}} Ulysses,{{cite web |last1=Kemp |first1=Susan |title=Ulysses Review |url=https://303magazine.com/2014/05/drop-ulysses-current-swell/ |website=303magazine.com |date=13 May 2014 |publisher=303 Magazine |access-date=2021-07-29}} When to Talk and When to Listen{{cite web |last1=Shust |first1=Dan |title=Spill Magazine Review, When to Talk and When to Listen |url=http://spillmagazine.com/spill-album-review-current-swell-talk-listen/ |website=spillmagazine.com |date=12 May 2017 |publisher=The Spill Magazine |access-date=2021-07-29}}{{cite web |title=Review, When to Talk and When to Listen |url=https://www.mondaymag.com/opinion/album-review-current-swell-when-to-talk-and-when-to-listen/ |website=mondaymag.com |date=25 April 2017 |publisher=Monday Magazine |access-date=2021-07-29}} and Buffalo.{{cite web|title=Current Swell|url=http://currentswell.com/home|website=Currentswell.com|accessdate=2 October 2012}}{{cite web |last1=Gregory |first1=Allie |title=Current Swell New Album & Tour Dates |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/current_swell_unveil_new_record_buffalo |website=exclaim.ca |publisher=Exclaim! Magazine |access-date=2021-07-09}}

History

Originally a group of friends hanging out, jamming, and writing music, the band began performing in backyards and on beaches, and has gained popularity through its online presence and dedicated Internet fan base. The band has been noted for its authenticity and for remaining true to its upbeat folk roots.

Image:Scott Stanton (Current Swell band).jpg

Current Swell sold out the very first show they played as a band. They had released a short, five-song EP on the internet that was discovered by northern Vancouver Island high school students. The band had booked a show at a local coffee shop in hopes of playing in front of a few people but ended up playing in front of a packed audience.

The band credits much of their success to their fans, particularly the online community. Their song Young and Able (2009) became an Internet hit through its popularization on YouTube.{{cite web |last1=Poliquin |first1=John |title=Young and Able Video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5AtkOF8wTQ |website=youtube.com |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2021-07-29}} The Internet has contributed significantly to the Canadian west coast band's large following in South America, particularly Brazil, where it headlined in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in 2012.

Current Swell has opened for bands like The Beach Boys, Xavier Rudd,{{cite web |title=Event, Xavier Rudd and Current Swell 2007 |url=https://livevictoria.com/show/146588/view |website=livevictoria.com |publisher=Live Victoria |access-date=2021-07-29}} Dispatch, Bedouin Soundclash{{cite web |title=Event-Current Swell with Bedouin Soundclash 2018 |url=https://livevictoria.com/show/472583/view |website=livevictoria.com |publisher=Live Victoria |access-date=2021-07-29}} and The Beautiful Girls,{{cite web |title=Event, Current Swell, The Beautiful Girls, Manitario 2007 |url=https://livevictoria.com/show/133132/view |website=livevictoria.com |publisher=Live Victoria |access-date=2021-07-29}} and has made appearances at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the Ottawa Bluesfest.{{cite news|last=Yagi|first=Anuhea|title=Current Swell|url=http://www.mauitime.com/Articles-i-2011-02-03-75725.113117-Current-Swell.html|accessdate=2 October 2012|newspaper=Maui Time|date=3 February 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519132200/http://www.mauitime.com/Articles-i-2011-02-03-75725.113117-Current-Swell.html|archivedate=19 May 2012}}

In 2011, Current Swell placed first at Vancouver's Peak Performance Project, winning the $100,500 top prize.{{cite web |last1=Hudson |first1=Alex |title=Current Swell Win Announcement |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/current_swell_win_100500_in_peak_performance_project |website=exclaim.ca |publisher=Exclaim! |access-date=2021-07-29}} The band also played one of the largest concerts of its kind in Victoria at a Canada Day concert for 45,000 people at the B.C. Legislature.{{cite web |last1=Devlin |first1=Mike |title=Current Swell Profile |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/life-just-keeps-getting-better-for-current-swell-1.1061794 |website=timescolonist.com |date=15 May 2014 |publisher=Victoria Times Colonist |access-date=2021-07-29}}

The band's sound combines the musical styles of folk, rock, roots, blues, reggae, and ska; it has also been described as "surf rock."{{cite book|last=Hollis|first=Susan|title=Passport Magazine|year=2009|pages=70|chapter=Your Music: Current Swell}}

In 2014, it was announced that the band would be releasing their fourth studio album on May 6, entitled Ulysses. The album was produced by Nathan Sabatino (Dr. Dog, White Rabbits) at Vancouver's Greenhouse Studios. The first single was the third track on the album, called Rollin'. Rollin' is also featured in the Teton Gravity Research-Anthill Films 2015 film unReal.{{cite web |title=unReal Soundtrack |url=https://www.tetongravity.com/story/bike/the-unreal-movie-soundtrack |website=tetongravity.com |publisher=Teton Gravity Research |access-date=2021-07-29}}

=Influences=

The band's albums So I Say, Trust Us Now, and Protect Your Own were inspired predominantly by their experiences traveling. However, the people in the band's life--friends, strangers, and fans who have been a part of their journey and development as artists, influenced the album Long Time Ago.