Swerve City / Mudshark / Cafe Fistfight

SWERVE CITY is a band from Auckland, New Zealand that seems drawn together by fate.

The new single “Sink Like Stones” is a scathing attack on the leaders of the world, for their mishandling of climate change issues to date. Fierce guitars scream like Valkyries, the rhythm section pounds like war drums, the bass line infiltrates your senses, while the vocals and lyrics cry out like a megaphone in protest, that something has to change.

Adam Forsdyke (Drums) hopped into an Uber one night, driven by the unsuspecting Kevin Ashby (Lead Guitars, Vocals). Around the same time, Shannon Coulomb (Bass) and JP Carroll (Guitar, lead vocals) were toying with the idea of creating something new, to accompany the pair’s respective solo projects (Imposter Syndrome, Arrays).

JP and Kevin shared the stage when their former bands (Armed In Advance, Fire At Will) had played shows together several years prior. At Swerve City’s first band meeting it was discovered that, unbeknown to them both, Shannon’s parents had purchased Adam’s grandparents’ house. The scene was set.

Swerve City is on a mission to create music that is a salve for life’s problems. The band stands for loyalty, camaraderie and humility; Four would-be comedians on the same page, one where openness to opportunity is valued, and the word ‘no’ has been removed from the vocabulary.

The sound is one of blistering and melodic leads, expressive and composed bass lines, jack-hammer drum arrangements, thunderous guitar riffs, and emotive vocal melodies and lyrics that tackle everything from fear of the future to ancient philosophy.

Thoughtful and ambitious, vehement and assured, Swerve City is a band with a plan, and all the pieces are falling into place.

MUDSHARK are a strange group of gorgeous freaks that somehow disgust you, excite you and arouse you in every intimate way you love and hate. Their new single 'E.I.G.Ht' brings the heavy riffs and aggressive vocals, while singer Rory Howard recently featured on Animalhead's lead single 'Follow Blind'.

Stocking only the freshest grooves and tastiest jams, CAFE FISTFIGHT provides the aural sustenance and strength you need to take down all who stand before you. This Auckland quartet have been impressing on the live scene, and are recent finalists in the much vaunted Ding Dong Lounge Battle of the Bands.