Synergy on the stage

Energetic indie-rock band to perform in PT

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Whether in the studio or in a van on the road for hours and days on end, being in a band can have plenty of ups and downs.

“When you live your life together as we do, often spending 24 hours a day together in tight quarters — we’ve recently upgraded from a Subaru to a minivan — communication is everything,” said Dave McGraw, a member of Sway Wild. “We’re fortunate and lucky to be so compatible, but like any healthy relationship it requires ongoing maintenance.”

The key is to leave any friction behind during a show.

“I think we’ve done an amazing job of leaving whatever friction may exist off the stage,” McGraw said. “The moment we step on stage we are in it together, always, and I think our audiences can tell.”

Mandy Fer, another member of the band, said performing live brings the musicians into focus.

“I enjoy the challenge of facing the excitement that arises when we throw ourselves onto a stage in front of a room full of strangers,” she said. “The strangers instantly become part of the experience, and then this unspoken trust emerges that we all create together.”

McGraw said that onstage, it is sometimes hard to distinguish where Fer ends and he begins.

“Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that we’re two different people,” he said. “This being said, we still often surprise each other in some way during every show. Much of this synergy comes down to deep trust and respect for one another as humans and musicians. When we get on stage we know that no matter what happens we’ll get through it together --the mistakes and failures, the bliss and euphoria.”

Upcoming performance

Sway Wild will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 23 at Rainshadow Recording, Fort Worden State Park, Building 315. Tickets are available at Crossroads Music, 2100 Lawrence St. in Port Townsend.

“Right now we’re performing as a trio, myself on lead electric guitar and vocals, Dave alternating between acoustic guitar and drums and singing throughout, and Thom Lord on electric bass,” Fer said.

Sway Wild performs a unique blend of indie-rock, folk, funk and pop.

“We used to be more along the folky/singer-songwriter side of things, and now we’re digging in to a bit more dynamic rock,” Fer said. “It can be soft, and then danceable, and is leaning towards some world influence right now in the beats and guitar parts we’ve been writing.”

The band has been working hard in a Portland, Oregon, studio over the past four months to create this new sound for an upcoming untitled album to be released later this year.

“We know that we’re taking some really big leaps on this new record towards the rockier/funkier side of things,” Fer said. “We’ve taken some risks and pushed our boundaries ... and we’re elated about letting loose a bit more and digging in and rocking out.”

When recording an album, in Portland the unique vibe of the city inevitably impacts the music, Fer said.

“We were looking for a place where we could expand artistically and what a better place to do that than Portland?” she said. “And, of course, we enjoyed endless amounts of pho and tacos trucks, and I got to try out a few different yoga studios. No yoga directly after eating tacos of course though.”

If there were a common thread to the new album, it would be the band’s disapproval of the Trump Administration, Fer said.

“Nearly all of these songs were written in reaction to the state of our world, and more specifically the state of our country under this current misogynistic, racist administration, and how that has affected us as human beings,” Fer said.

The songs are not about party affiliation, but about human decency, Fer continued.

“I hope that these songs inspire change for the better, whether on a personal and spiritual level, or on a greater level as well,” she said. “There’s some irony in that the songs themselves may seem like more upbeat, danceable and fun tunes, yet the words behind the music may have a heavier message.”

Despite the political undertones of the album, the band’s intentions were to create a timeless piece of art, McGraw said.

“It is an opportunity to create something that will hopefully live longer than we will,” he said. “No pressure.”

In the modern era of online streaming music, making a studio album is now a labor of love instead because financial gain in the old school sense of marketing an album has gone out the window, McGraw said.

“It is increasingly difficult to impossible as independent musicians to recoup the high costs of making albums in this new landscape of declining music sales from online streaming platforms such as Spotify and Pandora,” he said.

Still, the process of recording an album is highly enjoyable despite diminishing returns, Fer said.

“I love recording,” she said. “The focus that comes when the red light is on is unlike any other focus for me.”

The roller coaster of emotions reaffirms all the best qualities of life, Fer continued.

“Making an album can range anywhere from feeling like the most fun you’ve ever had in your life to being at the dentist and not having any money to pay him for all of the cavities that you’re getting filled without novocaine,” she said. “It’s definitely one of the most challenging parts of our career for sure. It’s expensive, draining, all-encompassing, an exercise in complete vulnerability and trust with yourself and your bandmates.”

The most beautiful part of the process for Fer is capturing “a moment in time that we are then able to share with the world.”

That moment is something that is shared between the band in a way no one else could know except by listening to the album, Fer said.

“I’ve been so grateful for Dave’s involvement in my songwriting, he has helped to push my writing to a whole new level, and I know that we can always trust that each other will be honest about how we feel about each other’s songs which is an extremely vulnerable thing to share with someone.”