He finds it a slow process and sadly for him, one fuelled by misery. Following a recent break-up, he’s at it once more. The fact that it’s slow going isn’t helped by the fact that he doesn’t write songs down as he’s going. “If it’s not good enough to stay in my head, it’s not good enough to stay in a song”, he says material is coming though and he’s aiming for an album this time, rather than an EP.
His songs are largely autobiographical. Although he might add something, there’s a kernel of his own experience in them and he finds himself divulging some pretty personal information. For example, in Restless Hearts, he describes himself and his dad as sharing the same spirit of restlessness. Thankfully, there wasn’t any family fall-out from the song. He played it to his dad before release, emphasising that he “wasn’t having a go,” and his dad copped it as “pretty accurate” and “fair enough.”
He has the same theory about tattoos as the songs he writes – while you’ve got them forever, they represent only a particular time and place in your life. Taking Restless Hearts again as an example there is a line, “I don’t see myself as an older man with a lover.” For Swift, this is a reminder of where he was at that point in his life. Previously, he has felt that feelings of “restlessness and being unsettled held [him] back in relationships”. While his dad was older and (happily) single at the time he wrote the song, Andrew was ruminating on the possibility that life may pan out the same way for him. “Who knows what the future may bring… Anyway, I will have these stories and I can share them with the people around me.”
The band’s music is difficult to categorise. It’s been both a blessing and a bane. “[It gives me the freedom to] just write whatever comes out. Sometimes it’s a bit more pop-rocky, sometimes a bit more alt-country”. The downside is knowing where to put it, particularly in the eyes of some industry folk. “They love it, but don’t know what to do with it”. This is not going to change anytime soon. Swift finds song writing therapeutic and lyrics are carefully structured. “I am picky about the way I place my lyrics so they feel a little more true to me”, he describes.
In terms of upcoming events, the band are playing a residency during May every Sunday at the Reverence Hotel, Footscray. Although officially he has now quit the band, their recently wedded bass player, Matt Davenport will be joining them for their acoustic sets during the month.
Swift is looking forward to the residency. Amongst other things, there is joy in the knowledge that the band will be joined by a number of musical luminaries (e.g. Andrew Kitchen of Antiskeptic). These were guys Swift followed around in his youth and who he still has fond, albeit embarrassing memories of “fan-boy, geeky moments.”
Since working with Sparta’s Jim Ward, managing these “fan-boy geeky moments” is something at which Swift has become more adept. Given that I’m interviewing one of my musical idols shortly, I’m keen to know how. “No matter how excited you are, play it cool. Listen. Keep the professionalism.” And, having learned this the hard way, don’t “pull out quotes from boot-leg CDs.” Sound advice.
BY MEG CRAWFORD
