Black Swan Lane

Last updated

Black Swan Lane
Origin Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Middleton, Greater Manchester, England
Genres indie rock, alternative rock, gothic rock
Years active2007-present
LabelsEden Records
MembersJack Sobel
John Kolbeck
Past members Mark Burgess
Yves Altana
Kwasi Asante
Achim Faerber
Andy Clegg
Andy Whitaker
Lauren Fay
Website Black Swan Lane Official website

Black Swan Lane is a US/UK indie rock band/project founded in 2007 by Jack Sobel and John Kolbeck (formerly of The Messengers), and Mark Burgess (formerly of The Chameleons, The Sun and the Moon, and Bird).

Contents

For their first release, Long Way From Home, issued in 2007 by Eden Records, Sobel, Kolbeck and Burgess were joined by three Burgess associates: Yves Altana, Achim Faerber and percussionist Kwasi Asante. Vocalist Anna-Lynne Williams (of Trespassers William) guested on the song Fakers.

In 2009, In the Ether, a track from the first album, was featured in the film Adventureland .

In November 2008, Sobel and Burgess were joined by Andy Whitaker and Andy Clegg to reform the Sun and the Moon for a one-off US show in Sobel's hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. During practice sessions for the show, several new songs were written which later became the basis for Black Swan Lane's second album, The Sun and the Moon Sessions, released in June 2009. Asante also collaborated on this album.

In April 2010, the band released their third album, Things You Know and Love, to critical acclaim. [1]

In July 2010, Black Swan Lane became official website sponsors of UK-based non-league football club Didcot Town. This sponsorship was extended for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 football seasons, and in the 2017-2018 season, the band sponsored the club's First Team shirt. [2]

In August 2011, the band released their fourth studio album, Staring Down the Path of Sound. For the first time, Burgess did not participate. Sobel and Kolbeck were joined by Lauren Fay, who provided additional backing vocals.

In May 2013, BSL's fifth studio album, The Last Time in Your Light, was released. It was recorded at Atlanta's Flood Studio and mixed by Jeff Tomei. Sobel and Kolbeck were the only founders remaining on the project.

In September 2014, the band released their sixth album, A Moment of Happiness, again recorded at Flood Studio with Sobel and Kolbeck remaining the sole collaborators.

After a break of three years, the band's seventh album, Under My Fallen Sky, was released in November 2017.

Vita Eterna was released in November 2019 once again receiving much acclaim. [3] Sobel was joined for the band's 8th album by John Kolbeck, Jason Monseur, Jerry Tew and John Hamm. For the first time the band also featured ex-Chameleons UK guitarist, Dave Fielding, who played electric guitar and his signature E-bow on eleven of the thirteen tracks. Backing vocals were provided by Krissy Vanderwoude, Lauren Fay and Gretchen Copeland with additional lyrics by Alessandro Dematteis.

Albums nine Hide in View, ten Blind and eleven Dead Souls Collide were each released approximately a year apart from Nov 2021 - Dec 2023. Sobel wrote and recorded all three albums alone following the departure of long-time collaborator Kolbeck.

Discography

Albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Level 42</span> English jazz-funk band

Level 42 are an English jazz-funk band formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979. They had a number of UK and worldwide hits during the 1980s and 1990s.

<i>Third/Sister Lovers</i> 1978 studio album by Big Star

Third is the third album by American rock band Big Star. Sessions started at Ardent Studios in September 1974. Though Ardent created promotional, white-label test pressings for the record in 1975, a combination of financial issues, the uncommercial sound of the record, and lack of interest from singer Alex Chilton and drummer Jody Stephens in continuing the project prevented the album from ever being properly finished or released at the time of its recording. It was eventually released in 1978 by PVC Records.

<i>Pale Sun, Crescent Moon</i> 1993 studio album by Cowboy Junkies

Pale Sun, Crescent Moon is the fifth studio album by Canadian country rock band Cowboy Junkies, released in 1993. It was the band's last album of new material for RCA Records, although a live album and a greatest hits compilation were subsequently released on the label. Canadian guitarist Ken Myhr appears on every track on this album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Pilson</span> American bassist (born 1958)

Jeffrey Steven Pilson is an American musician best known for being the bass player in the glam metal band Dokken and currently classic rock band Foreigner. He has also had an extended stint with Dio in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Chameleons</span> English rock band

The Chameleons are an English rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in 1981. The band's classic line-up consisted of bassist and vocalist Mark Burgess, guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer John Lever.

<i>Strange Times</i> (The Chameleons album) 1986 studio album by the Chameleons

Strange Times is the third studio album by English rock band the Chameleons. It was released on 1 September 1986 in the United Kingdom, and on 29 September 1986 in the United States, by Geffen Records. Initial copies of the North American vinyl release included a bonus LP featuring six non-album tracks, which would later be included as bonus tracks on the CD release in 1993. Two singles were released from the album: "Tears" and "Swamp Thing".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Burgess (musician)</span> Musical artist

Mark Burgess is an English singer, bassist and songwriter, best known as the frontman of post-punk band the Chameleons.

<i>Why Call It Anything</i> 2001 studio album by the Chameleons

Why Call It Anything is the fourth and final album of original material and fifth studio album overall by English rock band the Chameleons. It was recorded from 2000 to 2001 and released 1 July 2001 on record label Artful. The album marked their first and only release of all-new material since the 1990 EP Tony Fletcher Walked on Water.... La La La La La-La La-La-La.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dance Gavin Dance</span> American post-hardcore band

Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. It consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. The band formerly included lead vocalists Jonny Craig and Kurt Travis, bassists Eric Lodge, Jason Ellis, and Tim Feerick, and guitarists Alvaro Alcala, Sean O'Sullivan, Zachary Garren, and Josh Benton. The lineup has changed numerous times since their inception. Swan and Mingus are the only band members who have appeared on every studio album.

<i>Guaranteed</i> (Level 42 album) 1991 studio album by Level 42

Guaranteed is the ninth studio album by the British musical group Level 42, released in 1991, their first album of the 1990s. The album was released by RCA records and it was the first Level 42 studio album released by a label other than Polydor.

<i>Staring at the Sun</i> (Level 42 album) 1988 studio album by Level 42

Staring at the Sun is the eighth studio album by British jazz/funk band Level 42, released in 1988. The album includes the singles "Heaven in My Hands", "Take a Look" and "Tracie".

<i>Sunrise</i> (Elvis Presley album) 1999 compilation album by Elvis Presley

Sunrise is a two-disc compilation of Elvis Presley's studio recordings at Sun Studio from 1953 to 1955, released in 1999, RCA 67675-2. This set features all of the surviving master recordings made by Presley and his accompanists, Scotty Moore and Bill Black, occasionally augmented by other musicians, prior to his arrival on RCA Records in 1956.

<i>This Never Ending Now</i> 2002 studio album by the Chameleons

This Never Ending Now is the second acoustic album and sixth and final studio album overall by English rock band the Chameleons. It was released on 1 September 2002 on record label Paradiso. It consists of acoustic reworkings of songs from their early albums and singles as well as featuring a cover of David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magna Carta (band)</span> British band

Magna Carta is a progressive rock/folk rock group, originally formed in London in April 1969. Their first concert was on 10 May 1969, by Chris Simpson, Lyell Tranter, and Glen Stuart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Henriksen</span> American musician

Tommy Henriksen is an American musician from Port Jefferson Station, New York, best known for his work as a guitarist, bassist and songwriter with Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires, Crossbone Skully and German metal band Warlock. He has also fronted punk rockers P.O.L. and released several albums as a solo artist. In addition, Henriksen is a songwriter, arranger, producer and mixer who has worked with artists such as Lady Gaga, Meat Loaf, Lou Reed, Halestorm, Kesha, and Daughtry. Henriksen is currently based out of Zurich, Switzerland where he lives with his family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adoration (band)</span>

Adoration were an English band formed in 2003 by John Stone and Stephen Carey.

Paul Randolph, aka "Randolph" is an American bass player, singer, songwriter, and producer from Detroit, Michigan. His musical style ranges from jazz, funk, soul, house, rock and electronica. He is best known as the vocalist for the German collective, Jazzanova. Randolph has performed with well-known musicians, including Tony Allen, Odetta, Alice Cooper, Amp Fiddler, Hubert Laws, Josh White Jr, Mark Farner and Nigel Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Robinson Brotherhood</span> American blues rock band

Chris Robinson Brotherhood was an American blues rock band formed in 2011 by Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson while the Crowes were on hiatus. The original lineup consisted of Robinson, Neal Casal, Mark Dutton, George Sluppick (drums), and Adam MacDougall (keyboards). Since 2015, the band had undergone various personnel changes with Robinson and Casal remaining the only constant members. Following the death of Neal Casal in August 2019, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood announced it would disband.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Swan (musician)</span> American musician (born 1985)

William Swan is an American songwriter and musician born in Sacramento, California. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance and as the founder and owner of record label Blue Swan Records. He is also a guitarist in the metal band Secret Band, progressive rock band Royal Coda, and was a guitarist in the now defunct Sianvar.

<i>The Sun and the Moon</i> (The Sun and the Moon album) 1988 studio album by The Sun and the Moon

The Sun and the Moon is the debut studio album by English post-punk band the Sun and the Moon, featuring Mark Burgess and John Lever, released in 1988 by record label Geffen.

References

  1. "Black Swan Lane – Things You Know and Love". Sic Magazine. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  2. "Didcot Town Get Unusual Sponsor Ahead of FA Cup Clash". Oxford Mail . Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  3. "Black Swan Lane – Vita Eterna". Sic Magazine. Retrieved 23 October 2019.