SWMRS Release Their Sophomore Album 'Berkeley's On Fire'
By: Kaitlin Milligan Feb. 15, 2019
Oakland, CA rock quartet SWMRS have released their anxiously awaited sophomore album Berkeley's On Fire. The album is available HERE starting today via Fueled By Ramen. Limited edition merch bundles are available exclusively at the SWMRS online store HERE.
"When we were writing these songs we were very conscious of our role in creating a space for people to escape from the nonstop negative media cycle," shared co-frontman Cole Becker on the album's lyrics. "It's a strange time to be young; our generation knows the duality of feeling like an unstoppable force for change in one moment and a powerless wreck in the next. We wanted these songs to document that feeling that we've observed closely in ourselves and in the people we've shared our music with over the past three years."
Determined to create something new within the rock genre, SWMRS collaborated with envelope-pushing producer Rich Costey (MUSE, Death Cab for Cutie) for two months in the Spring of 2018 for an exercise in grand experimentation. Inspired in equal parts by The Breeders, Rage Against The Machine, and De La Soul, the sonic diversity of the album is indicative of a generation reared on streaming services. SWMRS make music the way they consume it, jumping easily from pop rock to breakbeat-infused rock to emo punk, and jangly power pop.
SWMRS began building anticipation for the album with the release of title track "Berkeley's On Fire" last August. In November, the band announced Berkeley's On Fire and shared lead single "April In Houston", which was the #1 most added song at Alternative Radio week of release and rose to #28 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. Last month, the band released "Trashbag Baby", their second consecutive song to premiere on BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World, and delivered a three song live performance from their historic Maida Vale Studios. The albums early tracks were featured prominently on playlists across Spotify (New Music Friday, New Noise, Rock This, All New Rock), Apple Music (Best Of The Week, Breaking Rock, The New Rock), and Amazon Music (Introducing Alternative, Rock Hits). SWMRS spoke at length to the album's timely lyrical content in recent interviews with Alternative Press and Kerrang, who honored the band with their first ever cover story.
SWMRS will celebrate the release of Berkeley's On Fire this week with an intimate sold-out show at San Francisco, CA's Rickshaw Stop, and stripped-down in-store performances and signings at Oakland, CA's 1-2-3-4 Go! Records, Long Beach, CA's Fingerprints Music, and Brooklyn, NY's Rough Trade NYC. Later this month, the band will embark on the European/UK leg of their Berkeley's On Fire Tour. The tour's North American leg will kick off on March 28th in San Diego, CA and wrap on May 3rd with a SOLD OUT show at Los Angeles, CA's Belasco Theater. Southern California rock bands The Regrettes and Beach Goons will support. SWMRS will donate $1 per ticket sold to organizations working on the frontlines of climate, racial, economic, and gender justice issues through their newly established SWMRS Fund. A complete list of upcoming live dates and ticket information can be found HERE.
Comprised of Cole Becker (vocals/guitar), Max Becker (vocals/guitar), Joey Armstrong (drums), and Seb Mueller (bass), SWMRS released their debut album Drive North in 2016 via their own Uncool Records before signing with Fueled By Ramen (Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco, Paramore) who later re-released it. Drive North was praised by outlets including Rolling Stone, Noisey, Buzzfeed, and Billboard, and saw the band make their network television debut on CBS's The Late Late Show with James Corden. SWMRS toured extensively in support of the album, and joined bands including FIDLAR, Wavves, Blink 182, Green Day, and All Time Low on stages around the world. Drive North has blared through hometown games of the Oakland A's and San Jose Earthquakes, and through Saint Laurent's runway during Paris Fashion Week.
Berkeley's On Fire Tracklisting
1. Berkeley's On Fire
2. Too Much Coffee
3. Trashbag Baby
4. Lose Lose Lose
5. April In Houston
6. Lonely Ghosts
7. IKEA Date
8. Hellboy
9. Bad Allergies
10. Steve Got Robbed
SWMRS Europe and UK Tour Dates
February 23, 2019 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
February 25, 2019 - Milan, Italy - Santeria Social Club
February 27, 2019 - Hamburg, Germany - Molotow
February 28, 2019 - Berlin, Germany - Musik & Frieden
March 01, 2019 - Prague, Czech Republic - Chapeau Rogue
March 02, 2019 - Vienna, Austria - Flex
March 04, 2019 - Munich, Germany - Strom
March 05, 2019 - Cologne, Germany - Luxor
March 07, 2019 - Brussels, Belgium - AB
March 08, 2019 - Paris, France - Point Ephemere
March 09, 2019 - Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg
March 11, 2019 - Birmingham, United Kingdom - O2 Institute
March 12, 2019 - Glasgow, United Kingdom - St Lukes
March 13, 2019 - Manchester, United Kingdom - Academy 2
March 14, 2019 - Bristol, United Kingdom - Thekla
March 16, 2019 - London, United Kingdom - Electric Ballroom
July 12, 2019 - Moscow, Russia - Park Live Festival
July 16, 2019 - Kiev, Ukraine - UPark Festival
SWMRS North American Tour Dates
February 15, 2019 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop - SOLD OUT
February 16, 2019 - Oakland, CA - 1-2-3-4 Go! Records
February 17, 2019 - Long Beach, CA - Fingerprints Music
February 19, 2019 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade NYC
March 28, 2019 - San Diego, CA - Music Box
March 29, 2019 - Las Vegas, NV - Vinyl - Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
March 30, 2019 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
April 01, 2019 - Austin, TX - Barracuda
April 02, 2019 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill
April 04, 2019 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell Stage)
April 05, 2019 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' South End
April 06, 2019 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
April 07, 2019 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
April 09, 2019 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts
April 11, 2019 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel
April 12, 2019 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
April 13, 2019 - Syracuse, NY - Westcott Theater
April 14, 2019 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
April 16, 2019 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
April 17, 2019 - Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century Theater
April 19, 2019 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
April 20, 2019 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave II
April 22, 2019 - Indianapolis, IN - Deluxe @ Old National Center
April 23, 2019 - St. Louis, MO - The Ready Room
April 25, 2019 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
April 27, 2019 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
April 28, 2019 - Tempe, AZ - Big Surf Waterpark Tempe
April 29, 2019 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
April 30, 2019 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
May 03, 2019 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco Theater - SOLD OUT
August 01, 2019 - Minneapolis, MN - X Games
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