Swanee River

Hailing from the city of Derry, they began in September 2004 and drew their influences from a range of bands including Free, Led Zeppelin, Spencer Davis Group, Rory Gallagher, Humble Pie and Terry Reid.

Their rise to prominence in the Irish music scene was nothing short of exceptional, and extremely fast, winning the northwest final of the Global Battle of the Bands within a matter of weeks of their existence and then going on to the all Ireland final to come sixth out of 300 bands.

After this early success in 2004, 2005 saw them launching into an incredible gigging agenda in their hometown of Derry and later in their adopted city of Belfast to set their mark amongst the original music scene. Within months they came out somewhere in the top of the pile of numerous Derry bands, creating a stir amongst local journalists and promoters in both Belfast and Derry.

In 2005 alone they have played somewhere in the region of 60 – 65 gigs including playing in Derry, Donegal, Belfast, Lurgan, Downpatrick, Warrenpoint, Dublin, and Killarney in such venues as – The Empire Music Hall (Belfast) The Spring and Airbrake (Belfast), The Irish National Events Centre (Killarney) and also headlining the prestigious Nerve Centre (Derry) twice that year. In august 2005 they also got to headline the Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin, which has started the ball rolling for their fan base there.

In 2006 they increased the pressure before a short break hitting the same towns and adding to the list Galway, Mullingar and Limerick in such venues as Cuba (Galway) and The Stables (Mullingar) though playing over 80 gigs this time, ever increasing their fan base. They also won the Tenants Northern Ireland Battle of the Bands hosted by Dukes hotel in Maghera and picked up a cool £1000 prize money.

Swanee River took a short break in 2007 to write some new material and to replace new members to the act. They are now ready to take on the Irish music scene again and have an extensive tour planned for the summer of 2007 to promote their new E.P. – Baby Better Lady.

They have also been featured extensively in the press including the Derry Journal, the Derry News, the Irish News, Alternative Ulster, Radar Magazine and the Evening Herald (Dublin) receiving raving reviews from all papers/magazines.

On top of this, their debut release ‘Back to the Handlebars’ has been played flat out on the airwaves on a host of radio shows throughout Ireland including Downtown radio, RTE Radio 1, Radio Ulster ATL (including interview and feature), Maiden city fm (Derry local) 107fm (Ballymena local – interview and feature) and QUB radio.

Their groovy soulful feel to their music has captured the incredible following they now have and made people realize again that it’s ok to like rock and roll!!

Swanee River short promo biog – April 2007

Press clippings

- ‘Swanee River have actually perfected that old fashioned rock and roll pre-Zeppelin sound, succeeding in tricking their audience into believing they’re at a real rock concert in the 60’s, loud proud and rather sexy too’ – Juliann Campbell, Derry journal

- ‘Absolutely rockin’, the best local release this year, fantastic’ – Maiden City FM 106.2

- ‘It flirts between Cream and The Small Faces…. its a while before they realise what a monster they’re capable of…Stevie Horner recalls Rodgers, Marriott and even early Clapton with his range and phrasing’ –Eamon P. Keyes, Fastfude NI Music scene, CD Review,

- ‘The songs, while never straying too far from their hard-driving bluesy roots, are another of the band’s strengths, showing a maturity and relative complexity that keep them interesting and leaving you wanting to hear where things will go next. The feel good fun of ‘There Ain’t Nothing Gonna Stop Me’ and the laid back Texan swagger of ‘Travelin Man Super Band’ are the highlights for me…. Full of bounce and balls, if you like your blues rock-hard, take a trip down the Swanee River’ –Tony Talbot (Head of Music Production N.W.I.F.H.E. ex NIMIC), a CD review for the Derry Journal.

- This is definitely a band to keep an eye on, I can see Swanee River getting loads of airplay, selling truck-loads of albums, filling arenas and headlining festivals well beyond these Irish shores in just a few years time. Great rock'n'roll, lads - I can't wait to hear more! - Rachel Blech, music broadcaster - RTE Radio 1

- Swanee River are one of the best bands around…..they blew me away…..is there a tighter band out there? I don’t know. – Jonny Hero, Downtown Radio

- Swanee River came and took over the Queens student union… surely one of the hardest working bands in the north at the moment….. their furious live reputation goes from strength to strength – Radar Magazine