Formed in 1982 in New York City, Swans has been seen by many as one of the most beloved groups in the experimental rock sphere, constantly shifting musical genres. The band’s name was chosen due to real life swans being “…majestic, beautiful creatures. With really ugly temperaments.” Almost four decades of creating music, over 30 members in total throughout Swans' history, and countless amounts of side projects, the leader and conductor of the operation Michael Gira is an artist with little to no bounds.

The group is described as having three main eras:

Initially stemming from the New York no wave and industrial scene with Filth, Swans at first aimed to provide the harshest sound possible with their first four albums, with a reputation that live performances were so loud and brash it would make listeners projectile vomit.

Soon after, they aimed for a slightly melodic sound with the Gothic inspired Children of God, before developing subtle neo-folk landscapes from works such as White Light From the Mouth of Infinity and going all-in with post-rock and various tape loops on the band’s magnum opus, Soundtracks for the Blind.

Finally, the band has enjoyed a recent resurgence in the 2010s with their reunion. They have received acclaim for their golden run of post-rock albums in this period, with the trilogy composing of The Seer, To Be Kind and The Glowing Man pushing the envelope of the band’s energy and sound to new limits. After The Glowing Man, the live band component split, leaving Gira as the only member, with 2019’s Leaving Meaning being his latest offering.