On the cusp of the burgeoning indie scene in Toronto, Glenn Milchem’s brainchild, The Swallows, was the result of knowledge culled from years well spent.  Aural osmosis is evident in the breadth of musical genres present in Glenn’s repertoire of song and, while long recognized as one of Canada’s premier drummers (Blue Rodeo, Holy Fuck, Change of Heart, among others), Glenn can now add frontman to list.  2007’s Awkward Situation, The Swallows 3rd album, represents a huge step forward in the band’s evolution. Arguably their most ambitious record so far, it also features some of their catchiest pop moments and most extreme sonic experiments.  Never idle, 2010 will see The Swallows releasing a new album that takes them once again into uncharted territory.

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For more information and tour dates, please visit
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Biography

"Blue Rodeo drummer Glenn Milchem picks up a guitar to front a raw quartet. This is what Neil Young meant by ‘ragged glory’" ~ Montreal Gazette

"An evocative snapshot of a talented songwriter, The Beauty of Our Surroundings is a success from top to bottom." ~ FFWD, Calgary
 

Glenn Milchem has long been recognized as one of Canada’s premier drummers, but now with Awkward Situation, the third release by his band The Swallows, he will also be recognized as a formidable singer/songwriter. The self-produced album was recorded in 2004 at The Woodshed in Toronto but the release was delayed until now.  Milchem has become used to unpredictable scheduling thanks to Blue Rodeo’s non-stop tour schedule, and recently his involvement with acclaimed electro-rockers Holy Fuck.  The first Swallows album, Turning Blue came out in 1999, followed by The Beauty Of Our Surroundings in 2002.
 
These interim periods have given Milchem time to develop his songwriting, and Awkward Situation finds him at his versatile best.  On the album he leads a group of old friends, bassist John Borra (Change Of Heart, A Neon Rome), drummer Randy Curnew (C’Mon), and guitarist Jonny James. "I really just write for the sake of writing now," Milchem says. "Completing a song is one of the most satisfying things I can think of, and I try to do that as often as I can. In the past, a lot of the material didn’t seem to fit what I originally wanted The Swallows to be, which was a rock band.”

While the songs, "Out Of The Way" and "Human Shield" present Milchem in an unexpectedly vulnerable state, the bulk of Awkward Situation lives up to the solid pedigree that Milchem has been known for since the ‘80s, when he began playing with an endless variety of post-punk, metal and roots artists.

After joining Blue Rodeo in 1992, Milchem had to curtail some of his extra-curricular activities.  His wide-ranging talents had an immediate effect on the group and pushed them in daring new sonic directions.  "I was never a fan of roots music until I started playing it," he says. “Even when I joined Blue Rodeo, I thought country music was just for right-wing Republicans. But obviously I’ve learned a lot since then, and after you hang out with musicians like those guys long enough you start to think that maybe just playing G, C and D isn’t so bad."

Milchem still has a long way to go before his music becomes that simplified, although he says that working within one specific style is never a consideration. "My songs are really just what comes out of me. I never think, okay, I want to write a bunch of art-punk songs. Sometimes I wish I could do that, but I tend to just go with whatever mood I’m in. I still mainly listen to experimental music, but for whatever reason I don’t seem to write that way." Lyrically, Milchem trusts his instincts.  Songs like "Privileged Tears" and "Pointafinger" pull no punches in making pronouncements on the state of society.

"I’d say that most of the songs on this record are about hitting some kind of impasse in life. Sometimes the subject is me, and sometimes it’s someone I know. The opening track, ‘Glorious’ is actually about world events, and trying to find some light in the darkness. If there’s any constant theme to this record, it’s probably that; no matter how dark a song might be, hopefully it has some light in it as well."

Milchem says that The Swallows will always be his personal creative outlet, no matter who else is involved. "I’m going to keep making records and I know that five years from now I’ll still be doing it.”
 

Press

EYE MAGAZINE - 2006-12-13

THE SWALLOWS
Awkward Situation (Magnetic Angel)

****
The Swallows aren't exactly a band - more precisely, it's the nom de rock for Blue Rodeo drummer (and occasional Holy Fucker) Glenn Milchem. Awkward Situation is Milchem's third album under the Swallows moniker, and it's a much more raucous and enjoyable effort than anything the Rodeo have recorded lately; that band's lacklustre 2005 album, Are You Ready, sounds ever more tired and uninspired by comparison. A studiously off-the-cuff set of jangly rock 'n' roll ("Glorious"), power pop ("Pointa finger") and moody Sonic Youth–style riffage ("Darkly Bright"), Awkward Situation doesn't reveal anything extraordinary or break down any new musical barriers, but it's precisely (and passionately) executed, without ever sounding derivative or over-thought-about - which is more than compensation enough. A winning effort. PI
 

THE SWALLOWS
Awkward Situation (Magnetic Angel)

Rating: NNN

Frontmen, beware of your drummer. Just because someone's relegated to the skins doesn't mean he's suppressed his rock star ambitions. Take Glenn Milchem, drummer for Canrock heroes Blue Rodeo and electro-rock stalwarts Holy Fuck and guitarist/ vocalist for his own band, the Swallows. Though the Swallows are definitely a side project, it gives Milchem the chance to prove he can do more than just bang shit. While there's nothing groundbreaking here, the band's third disc is still an impressive release. Most notable is the guitar work. Milchem and Jonny James have clearly taken pride in the axe-manship. The plethora of well-planned solos and fast-fingered rhythm guitar is reason enough to listen. The rest isn't bad either, although a few vocal melodies could've been reworked.
 

Awkward Situation
The Swallows
(Magnetic Angel)

***.5  (out of 4)

You're having a bad week, and that's Glenn Milchem at the end of the bar with a light.  "Might as well keep shining on," sings Milchem, the Blue Rodeo drummer who heads the side-project Swallows.  "Might as well be glorious."  Jerrry Garcia couldn't have put it better.  Lead track Glorious is jammy, but the rest of the splendid, light-and-dark themed record is marked by power pop and blade-sharp lyrics, with some new wave and Police thrown in.  Hear Vicariously, which imagines a chance meeting between Luke Doucet and Coldplay.  Hear the Crazy horse of Soft Bomb, in which Milchem flickers as things continue to crash down.  Hear it all.
- Brad Wheeler
 

Discography

Contacts

Management

Worldwide
Starfish Entertainment
Susan de Cartier / Judith Coombe
416-588-3329
susan@starfishentertainment.com
jude@starfishentertainment.com

Record Company

Canada
Magnetic Angel w/ Outside Music Distribution
Kevin Lynn – Marketing Manager
416-461-0655 x335
kevin@outside-music.com

Agent

Publicist

Canada
Stage Fright Publicity
Darryl Weeks
705-728-7077
darryl@stagefrightpublicity.com
 

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