Will Swan is a Sacramento guitarist, primary songwriter, and label head, best known as the founding guitarist and main creative force of the Sacramento post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance.[1][2] He also founded the independent label Blue Swan Records and co-founded the multi-band supergroup Sianvar, making him a connective hub across the regional post-hardcore scene.[3][4]
Swan was born on December 5, 1985, in San Francisco, California, and was raised in Sacramento.[5]
At a glance
- Founding guitarist of Sacramento post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance, formed in Sacramento in 2005.[1][6]
- Self-described "main writer" of the band, driving its instrumental direction across multiple lineup changes.[2][6]
- Took over screaming/vocal duties after John Mess left, then shared vocals on later records.[2]
- Founder of Blue Swan Records, the label behind releases by Kurt Travis and Sianvar.[3][4]
- Member of the post-hardcore supergroup Sianvar, alongside members of Hail the Sun, Stolas, and A Lot Like Birds.[4]
Role in the scene
Swan operates as a musician, songwriter, and label operator within the Sacramento post-hardcore world. Within Dance Gavin Dance he is described as the band's "main writer," bringing largely finished instrumental skeletons to practice and teaching them to the rest of the band before vocals are added.[2][6] He has repeatedly framed his songwriting as instinctive rather than agenda-driven, aiming to "write whatever comes out" so that each record is a "natural progression" from the last.[2] He credits a particular guitar sound—paired with drummer Matt Mingus's drumming style—as the consistent core that keeps Dance Gavin Dance recognizable across roughly eight past members.[6]
Beyond guitar, Swan has cultivated a recurring identity as a "DGD rap" vocalist, contributing sarcastic, persona-driven rap verses to the band's songs (for example on "Powder to the People" and on the album Instant Gratification).[2][6]
Local status
Will Swan is local to Sacramento. He is a founding member of Dance Gavin Dance, which formed in Sacramento in 2005 and is repeatedly identified by Submerge as a Sacramento / Sacramento-based band, with the city explicitly described as the group's "hometown."[1][6] Submerge also lists Swan among musicians "in the Sacramento area" when describing his work in Sianvar.[4]
Evidence: Dance Gavin Dance's sound "has earned the group quite a following both here in their hometown of Sacramento and beyond," and the band's formation is given as "the band's formation in Sacramento in 2005."[1][6] Confidence: high.
Early career
Before Dance Gavin Dance, Swan co-founded the Sacramento post-hardcore band Farewell Unknown. According to Wikipedia, the band released one studio album, The 40 Day Fake Out, on October 19, 2004, before disbanding in 2005.[5]
Dance Gavin Dance
Swan has been a constant in Dance Gavin Dance across a history marked by frequent lineup turnover—described by Submerge as more roster changes "than an MLB team."[2]
- Early era (Johnny Craig): The band's early, aggressive material featured original singer Johnny Craig and had what bandmates described as an R&B vibe; bandmate Zachary Garren attributed some of that groove to Swan.[1] Craig and the band parted ways around 2008 amid significant drama.[1]
- Kurt Travis era / Happiness (2009): With Kurt Travis on lead vocals, the band released its third full-length, Happiness, due out June 9, 2009.[2] Swan wrote the dance-funk track "Don't Tell Dave" while on tour with Senses Fail, recording the drums, bass, and guitar himself before teaching it to the band, and cited funk influences including George Clinton.[2] After John Mess left, Swan took over screaming duties, growing more comfortable with the role over time.[2]
- Reunion / Downtown Battle Mountain II (2011): Five original members—Swan and drummer Matt Mingus, who welcomed back bassist Eric Lodge and the vocal duo of Jon Mess and Johnny Craig in 2010—reunited and recorded Downtown Battle Mountain II, released March 8, 2011 through Rise Records.[7] Swan had begun writing new songs before Mess rejoined in summer 2010.[7]
- Tilian Pearson era / Instant Gratification (2015): By 2015 the lineup was Tilian Pearson (vocals), Jon Mess (vocals/screams), Swan (guitar/vocals), Tim Feerick (bass), and Matt Mingus (drums).[6] Their sixth studio album, Instant Gratification, was slated for release through Rise Records on April 14, 2015.[6] Swan described his fast writing process—rarely spending more than a day per song in practice—putting the instrumental tracking at roughly 11 days.[6]
- Commercial growth (2016–2022): Dance Gavin Dance's commercial footprint grew steadily in this period. Mothership (2016), Artificial Selection (2018), and Afterburner (2020) all charted in the top 20, while Jackpot Juicer (2022) reached the top ten.[5]
Notable Sacramento-area shows tied to these records include performances at the Boardwalk in Orangevale (an April 19, 2008 Artery Foundation tour date; back-to-back shows April 3–4, 2015) and Ace of Spades (April 8, 2011).[1][7][6]
Blue Swan Records
Swan founded and runs Blue Swan Records, an independent label.[3] In 2014 Submerge described Blue Swan as "a new label that is run by Dance Gavin Dance's Will Swan," noting it was set to release former DGD vocalist Kurt Travis's solo album Everything Is Beautiful.[3] The label also facilitated the release of Sianvar's 2016 debut LP Stay Lost.[4]
According to Wikipedia, Blue Swan Records was founded in early 2013; its inaugural release was Living Creatures by Stolas, released March 14, 2013.[8] The label is co-run with business partner Sergio Medina (of Stolas) and is headquartered at Swan's Sacramento home. Swan pays artists a minimum 50% of CD revenue—far above the industry standard of 14–20%—and deliberately does not collect tour or merchandise revenue from artists.[9]
In February 2021, Blue Swan Records partnered with Rise Records and also signed a publishing contract with BMG.[8][10] Rise Records VP Sean Heydorn commented on the partnership: "Will and Sergio have created something really special. They've put art and creativity first and the result has been an eclectic catalog of fantastic releases."[10]
Sianvar
Swan is a member of the post-hardcore supergroup Sianvar, described by Submerge as one of the hardest-working musical entities in the Sacramento area and in much of North America.[4] The band's members are spread across multiple groups: Swan (Dance Gavin Dance), Donovan Melero (Hail the Sun), Sergio Medina (Stolas), and Joe Arrington and Michael Franzino (A Lot Like Birds).[4] Their debut LP Stay Lost was produced by Dryw Owens at Roseville's Little Russia Recordings and released August 5, 2016 with a show at the Boardwalk in Orangevale.[4] Bandmate Medina described the songwriting partnership, noting Swan's instinct to keep ideas that "already feel good" and his habit of quickly recording new parts on his phone so they wouldn't be lost.[4]
Secret Band
In 2011, Swan and other Dance Gavin Dance members formed the side project Secret Band. According to Wikipedia, the name derived from "the idea of keeping it a secret from other members of Dance Gavin Dance."[5]
Royal Coda
Swan joined the progressive rock band Royal Coda in 2019, appearing on their 2019 album Compassion and their 2022 album To Only A Few At First.[5][11]
Scene relationships
Swan sits at the center of an interconnected web of Sacramento-area post-hardcore musicians. Through Dance Gavin Dance he has worked with vocalists Johnny Craig, Kurt Travis, John/Jon Mess, and Tilian Pearson, drummer Matt Mingus, and bassists Eric Lodge and Tim Feerick.[1][2][7][6] His Blue Swan label and the Sianvar project connect him further to Kurt Travis, A Lot Like Birds (Joe Arrington, Michael Franzino), Hail the Sun (Donovan Melero), Stolas (Sergio Medina), and to Zachary Garren (former DGD guitarist, later of Strawberry Girls), who co-wrote Travis's Blue Swan-released solo album.[3][4]