The Swear

Elizabeth Elkins: Lead Vox, Guitar
Jeremy Zamaro: Lead Guitar
Kevin Williams: Bass
Kent Aberle: Drums

This Atlanta based band fronted by singer/songwriter Elizabeth Elkins ( Vox/Guitar ) is built on aggressive lyrics, punchy choruses, sharp riffs and strong bass and drums. All of which promises to give any rock n' roll lover a ride they won't easily forget. Their debut EP "Every Trick's a Good One," is a six pack jolt that grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go until long after the last note of "Chicago" has faded away.

The Swear Interview

Recently we had a chance to ask Elizabeth a few questions about The Swear and their debut EP, "Every Trick's a Good One."

TCZ: Can you tell us what influenced you the most in pursuing a career in music?

Elizabeth: A combination of things...both my love of writing and literature (which influences my lyrics), a need for an outlet for all the crazy thoughts in my head and a desire to make people feel the way my musical heroes made me feel when I listened to their CDs and went to their concerts.

TCZ: What was the first concert you ever attended and how did it influence you, if at all, to pursue a career in music?

Elizabeth: My first concert was Helmet and Ned's Atomic Dustbin in the early 90s. It was about the same time that I started playing guitar, and I remember watching them play and really wanting to be the one on the stage.

TCZ: How old were you when you composed you're first song and what does that song mean to you today?

Elizabeth: I used to make up songs on piano when I was 6 or 7, but I don't remember them. I wrote a song called "One Mountain" when I was 17. It was terrible. I guess it means that I've gotten better at songwriting.

TCZ: In you're own words can you describe each of your band mates and what is the greatest strength that each of them brings to "The Swear."

Elizabeth: Jeremy Zamora plays the guitar and co-writes songs with me. Jeremy writes amazingly hooky, very unique guitar riffs that inspire me every time we play. He can take something simple I've written and add a counter melody guitar line that takes the song from okay to great. He's also got a badass stage energy and he's a totally conceited asshole, which is part of his charm.

Kent Aberle is the drummer and sings harmony. Kent's greatest strength is his sense of the song. He never overplays and he has amazing ideas for arrangements. Plus, every time I get off stage somebody always says "damn, your drummer is really good."

Kevin is the bass player. Kevin shares my love of all things dark and goth. He and I bring the darkness to The Swear. His strength is his ability to understand what I mean when I say "make that bass line really creepy."

TCZ: Tell us the story behind "The Swear."

Elizabeth: I had another band, which didn't work out. But I wanted to keep playing and a friend recommended Kent. Kent then recommended Kevin (they had played together in another band). We played out for a few months with a different guitarist, but it wasn't quite right. We found Jeremy in July 2004 and then knew we had an actual band on our hands! We waited a year to record our first CD, which we did last summer. It came out November 2005. Since then, we have been writing more and more new songs.

TCZ: While recording " Every Trick's a Good One," does any particular event stick in your mind that you could share with us?

Elizabeth: Yeah, my sinus infection! The timing on that sucked!

TCZ: What song would you say was the most difficult for the band to record and why?

Elizabeth: Probably "Chicago" because we had differing opinions on the drum parts, the guitar and bass tones and how to approach the chorus at the end.

TCZ: You mentioned "List" was one of your favorite tracks off this release. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this song and why it has become one of your favorites?

Elizabeth: "List" is about two people who are serial daters. Serial daters always date the same type of people, use them up and then dump them. So what happens if two serial daters find each other? Do they fall in love, or do they hate each other immediately? I like the song because of the bridge -- the "fuck this/they all say you're easy" part -- and because I think it was recorded very well - a good blend of darkness and of pop.

TCZ: Although categorized as a rock band you do an amazing job with "Last Breath" which leans more heavily towards metal than rock. What influenced that particular sound on this track?

Elizabeth: Hmmm, I guess the guitar hook is pretty heavy on that one, and the vocals are very aggressive on the chorus and the outro. Jeremy wrote the majority of the music for that track, and he's got a little Guns N Roses in his heart and a lot of Jawbox...maybe that is where it comes from. We've also been spending plenty of time with System of A Down albums.

TCZ: What song does the band enjoying performing live the most and why?

Elizabeth: We probably all have different answers for that, and I know my answer changes every few weeks. Right now, my favorite is a new song called "Carsick" - it's a mid-tempo, really heavy song that has some of the coolest sectional changes we've done yet.

TCZ: If there was one thing you could say to your fans today what would it be?

Elizabeth: We love to hear from you! We always try to stay in touch with our fans and hang out at shows. We have some of the best, most dedicated fans ever and we can't thank them enough. And to everybody outside of the Southeast U.S., hang in there, we're working on bigger tours this year.

TCZ: Does The Swear have a fan site, street team or message boards fans can participate in?

Elizabeth: Yep, we have a message board on our main site at www.theswear.com and of course www.myspace.com/theswear is always a great place. We're all on MySpace, so feel free to message anyone in the band. We do have a street team, you can email band@theswear.com to join up.

TCZ: What can we expect from "The Swear" in 2006? Any plans to tour? Any videos or singles on the horizon?

Elizabeth: We've got a lot of great stuff going on and plenty of songs you haven't heard yet! Look for a video before the end of the year, and stay tuned to our website for tour dates.

Interview by GWGS © The Cover Zone Jan 2006