What We’ve Been Listening To: A Swift Farewell

A Swift Farewell is a 3-piece emo pop-punk band hailing from Eora/Sydney, Australia. They’ve spent a good chunk of 2022 figuring out who they are as a band, what they sound like and how they want to present themselves going forward. Back in 2020 – when the band was originally a four-piece – Eat This Music had a chance to chat with the band upon the release of their single “The Fire”, since then, A Swift Farewell has gone on to reinvent, release more music, and fine-tune their craft to what it is today with the release of their newest single “Sorry”.

In “Sorry,” A Swift Farewell explores the emotional undertones of feeling responsible for negative situations in life. Vocalist Ryo explains that he felt responsible for causing relationships to fall apart, band members to leave, and for other people’s feelings. The song’s lyrics reveal the painful consequences of feeling responsible for everything and the toll it takes on one’s mental health.

The music video was filmed, directed and edited by Oliver Clark, and perfectly complements the song’s theme, as the video shows the band performing in both light and dark settings while following a plot that displays the outcome of emotional impairment. Guitarist and songwriter Sarah explains that the video’s storyline follows the song’s theme of hurting someone else with words and actions, and the regret that follows.

A Swift Farewell has released their latest single “Sorry,” which features poignant vocals from lead singer Ryo that quickly burst into action with the addition of vigorous guitars from Sarah and resounding drums from Dwayne. The verses of the song balance controlled tension with dynamic intricacies, while the chorus bursts with intensity and skilful production through the bridge that offers reprieve and uplifted variety, leading the song towards its emphatic finale.

A Swift Farewell’s “Sorry” is an emotionally charged single that perfectly showcases the band’s musical and storytelling abilities. With its explosive instrumentals and poignant lyrics, “Sorry” is a song that will undoubtedly resonate with many listeners – Eat This Music included.

To coincide with the release of the video, the band took some time to answer a couple of questions [1] to gain an understanding into the other types of music they enjoy. You’d be surprised to realise Neck Deep, Yen Strange, Boys II Men, Allday, and others play part!

Dig in and enjoy!

[1] — The below was answered by Ryo

How did the namesake for the band come about?

The name comes from a Neck Deep song. It is funny, how we decided on the name. I said to the guys, let’s scream out the pool of names as if we are playing a show and see which one, we like the most. The rest was history.

What artists or bands are on your must-listen to list lately and why?

Yen Strange, she is so underrated. We saw her headliner show at the Burdekin Hotel last year and she put on quite a show, and she killed it supporting Yours Truly on their last tour. Her latest song ‘If Snakes Can Afford Fast Cars I Wanna Be A Snake Too’ gives me an Icona Pop mixed with Mallrat. If you are into Indie-Pop, definitely recommend giving her a listen.

https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1396273249

Which guilty pleasure songs are reluctant to admit to listening to?

‘End of the Road’ by Boyz II Men

I honestly do not recall the first time I listened to this song. But I know it was due to my mum’s side of the family. We have an office playlist, and this is in it. If I miss a bit of the chorus, I have to restart the song.

Which song of someone else’s (artist or band) would you have liked to feature on and why?

‘Wolves’ by Allday!

I am not really into rap. However, his album ‘Startup Cult’ is amazing from start to finish. Additionally, ‘Wolves’ was the first song I’d listened to from him and it was on my YouTube recommendation.

Which song, or songs, of yours would you recommend to a first-time listener and why?

‘Sorry,’ since it is our only song that we have in our catalogue haha. BUT, it is a good introduction to the new sound we are going for. I hope people can relate to it, especially those who constantly says ‘sorry’ when they do not have to.

What led you into using music as your creative outlet, and keeps you making music?

Whenever I visited Indonesia (Mum’s side), everyone in the family was playing guitar and singing. The music that they played usually ranged from Pop music to Pop-Punk, and my cousins and aunties/uncles kept singing at the top of their lungs having a good time. Only to realise some songs might sound happy but have sad lyrics attached to them. This led me to use music as a creative outlet.

The reason I keep making music is to express my feelings/thoughts whilst masking them with happy-sounding instruments. Also, if people can relate to the songs A Swift Farewell has written, that makes it even better.