Swell Maps
A little gang of unknown English teenagers started a scene in their obscure Midlands home-town of Solihull in 1972. This project evolved until it came to be known as Swell Maps, centred around four core members: Nikki Sudden (guitar, vocals), Epic Soundtracks (drums, keyboards), Richard Earl (guitars, vocals), Jowe Head (bass, guitars, vocals).
Swell Maps produced and recorded tracks for their debut single, “Read About Seymour” themselves in late 1977. They released this independently on their own label, Rather Records, when “do-it-yourself” record releases by bands was still a new idea. These days, Swell Maps are now known as pioneers of what is now referred to as the “Alternative Rock” scene. Musically, they mixed punk rock with experimental and psychedelic sounds.
Swell Maps released four singles and two albums in a brief but dramatic career, in a partnership with Rough Trade Records. This led to them topping the UK independent charts, and influencing a diverse array of bands such as Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Pavement, Stereolab, Pastels and Blur. Swell Maps split up in 1980.
Those two Swell Maps studio albums, “A Trip to Marineville” and “Jane From Occupied Europe”, continue to be available and still attract enthusiastic new listeners, due to excellently produced re-releases by Mute Records in Europe, and Secretly Canadian in the USA. They still get played on BBC Radio in the UK, and many other stations around the world.
Sadly, Epic and Nikki, who were brothers, died in 1997 and 2006.
“In December 2021, I organised a performance with ten musicians to perform Swell Maps music for two concerts on consecutive nights at Cafe Oto, a fine venue in Hackney, internationally renowned for it’s live presentations of alternative music. As well as performing a selection of the betterknown Maps material, it gave me an opportunity to present material that had never been performed live before, such as “Bronze & Baby Shoes”, “Ghost Train”, “Jelly Babies”, “Wireless”, “Don’t Throw Ashtrays”, and “Collision With a Frogman”.
It was a brilliant opportunity to feature some of Epic’s piano-based pieces, because we had Lucie Rejchrtova, a fine keyboard player, and Oto’s grand piano! The other contributors: Dave Callahan and Luke Haines (both guitar & vocals), Cos Chapman (lead guitar), Jeff Bloom and Ian Wadley (drums), Jasmine Pender (electric cello), Lee McFadden (bass & guitar), Jon Hodgson (bass), Gina Birch (vocals). Both sets at Cafe Oto were recorded, and I mixed the performances for an exciting live album, which is now available on the Glass Modern record label.
Dave, Luke, Lee, Jeff, Lucie, Gina and I got back together at Rough Trade East in March 2022, to perform at the launch party for my book on Swell Maps. This ongoing project is now known as Swell Maps C21; further concerts took place at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Paris, and more are planned.” – Jowe Head
More Events
Explore The Neighbourhood
Laura Smyth: Living My Best Life
Star of Live At The Apollo and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, Laura Smyth’s brand-new show explores all aspects of modern life. She has fun mugging off all the…
Learn MoreTraditional Irish Music Session
As part of Chapel Allerton Arts Festival, presented by Folk Roots Fringe. Open to all. Led by local musicians. Ireland is famous for their traditional…
Learn MoreLeeds Jazz Festival launch with Dan Barker Bey
This year we are proud to host the opening event of the 2024 Leeds Jazz Festival in the bar at Seven Arts. A special Rush…
Learn MoreBelieve in Cher – Tribute
BELIEVE IN CHER IS A HIGH ENERGY, TRIBUTE SHOW FROM ELLY JARMAIN – PAYING A SPECTACULAR TRIBUTE TO ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT SUPERSTARS, CHER!…
Learn MoreMeet the Beatles
Meet the Beatles are one of the finest tributes to The Beatles. From the costumes they wear to the perfect harmonies and all the authentic…
Learn MorePat Fulgoni Blues Experience
Acclaimed singer Pat Fulgoni fronts this top notch 5 piece blues band already with European blues festival dates under their belts and equally at home…
Learn MoreHogarths
Welcome to Hogarths Wakefield. We are a grand Victorian Gin Palace and you can find us at 61-63 Westgate, Wakefield. Whether you join us during…
Learn MoreValhalla
An instant hit when it opened in York 2017, Valhalla is ‘a venue that paid homage to York’s Viking heritage and somewhere with purely Rock…
Learn MoreGracie’s
Gracie’s is a family run cafe located in the heart of Ossett, serving great quality food and beverages.
Learn MorePiglove Brewing Co- BREWERY
Piglove comes from the Venezuelan expression ‘cochino amor’, which is used to describe a love for something that is so big, raw and passionate that…
Learn MoreThe yorkshire deli & pizza bar
FRESH PRODUCE We pride ourselves on having fresh produce delivered within a 30 minute drive from our Wakefield and Leeds stores. From our local vegetables…
Learn MoreWetherby Sports Association
WSA provides a community hub for sports clubs and societies in Wetherby that would otherwise struggle to fund a place of their own.
Learn MoreUnity Through Music Studio
Unity Through Music Studio is a Professional Recording Studio Supporting Teenager Cancer Awareness & The Donovan S Webster Trust fund in Leeds.
Learn MoreLightwaves Leisure & Community Centre
Lightwaves Community Trust is a charity set up by Lightwaves centre users and local community activists to deliver high quality sport facilities, meeting and venue…
Learn MoreYAFTA International
Academy for film and television acting – education and training specialist
Learn MoreLeeds School of Arts
The Leeds School of Arts at Leeds Beckett University A new £80m campus in the heart of Leeds City Centre. Including theatres and cinema screening…
Learn MoreNorthlight 31
Gallery, cafe and community space in the old Inkwell building on Potternewton Lane https://northlight31.com/
Learn MoreInkwell – Chapel Allerton
A Creative Art Space in Leeds Promoting Positive Mental Health Inkwell is a safe, creative and accessible space where passion and skills entwine, challenging the…
Learn MoreNexus – University of Leeds
Community is at the heart of what we do. We help high growth businesses make the right connections and access research, talent and facilities across…
Learn MoreInkwell Arts
Inkwell Arts is a creative wellbeing service from Leeds Mind. Linking creativity and mental wellbeing.
Learn More