Swell was an indie rock band formed in San Francisco in 1989 when David Freel (vocals/guitar) and Sean Kirkpatrick (drums) decided to record an album. History The band recorded a self-titled debut album and released it on Freel's own pSychosPecificMusic label in April 1990. Swell's influences range from 1980s post-punk bands, Pink Floyd to folk, noise pop and Ennio Morricone film scores. Freel, Kirkpatrick and Mark Signorelli (bass) spent early summer of 1990 busking on the streets of Europe, mainly in Spain. While they were busking, Monte Vallier was doing press and radio publicity for the album release at home. "Swell" did very well on college radio and got many reviews in industry magazines. Club promoters were calling to book the band, but when they returned to the States, Signorelli moved back to New York City. For a support slot for Mazzy Star at San Francisco's I-Beam, Monte joined as bass player and John Dettman-Lytle, David's loft-mate at 41 Turk Street, was asked to join as a second guitarist. This configuration toured around California during the fall of 1990. By early 1991 their booking agent in Belgium was calling them back to Europe to play shows in France, Germany, Austria, the Benelux, Switzerland, and Norway. That same year they recorded a second album, ...Well?, which was released in February 1992, also on the pSychoSpecificMusic label. Though Dettman left the band soon after, Freel, Kirkpatrick, and Vallier carried on, receiving an offer from Def American to give ...Well? a wider release one year after its first issue. Adding guitarist Tom Hays following the sojourn of Pete Vogl on guitar, Swell kept up a heavy touring schedule of Europe and the US. They began recording their third album, 41, in 1992. It was released by American in November 1993. In 1993 Niko Wenner (Oxbow, Jellyfish) replaced Hays, and toured with the band on guitar, backing vocals, and keyboard through 2003. Subsequent albums include 1997's Too Many Days Without Thinking and 1998's For All the Beautiful People. The latter album included Wenner on guitar and backing vocals, and Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Laika, Spleen) on drums. Swell / Be My Weapon Everybody Wants to Know, more a Freel solo album than anything else since Vallier left the band while making it, appeared in spring 2001. Whenever You're Ready- recorded with Sean Kirkpatrick - and the compilation Bastards and Rarities (featuring unreleased tracks and