William Swan (born December 5, 1985) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...

band

Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American Rock music, rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. It consists of lead guitarist Will Swan (musician), Will Swan, drummer Matthew Mingus, harsh vocalist Jon Mess, and lead vocalist and rhythm gui ...

and as the founder and owner of record label Blue Swan Records. He is also a guitarist in the band Secret Band,

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

band

Royal Coda Royal Coda is an American rock music, rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists ...

, and was a guitarist in the now defunct Sianvar. Swan co-founded the

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

based post-hardcore band Farewell Unknown, releasing the album ''The 40 Day Fake Out'' in 2004, before disbanding. In 2005, he formed the band Dance Gavin Dance and released their debut extended play (EP), ''

Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean ''Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean'' is the debut EP by American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance. Released on November 14, 2006, the album was originally recorded over a six month period with producer Phil Devereux and was subsequently produced ...

'' (2006), later signing to

Rise Records Rise Records is an American record label currently based in Beaverton, Oregon, mainly focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock music artists. History Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Nevada City, California. He relea ...

. With the band, he has released 10 full-length studio albums, including the top 20 albums ''

Mothership A mother ship, mothership or mother-ship is a large vehicle that leads, serves, or carries other smaller vehicles. A mother ship may be a maritime ship, aircraft, or spacecraft. Examples include bomber aircraft, bombers converted to carry exp ...

'' (2016), ''

Artificial Selection Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant ...

'' (2018), and ''

Afterburner An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and combat ...

'' (2020), and the top top-ten album '' Jackpot Juicer'' (2022), three live albums, and four one-off singles. In 2011, Swan, along with members of Dance Gavin Dance, formed the metalcore band Secret Band, releasing two full-length studio albums and one EP. In 2013, together with members of

Stolas Stolas may refer to: *Stolas (demon), a demon in the ''Ars Goetia'' *Stolas (band), an American post-hardcore band *'' Stolas: Book of Angels Volume 12'', a 2009 Masada Quintet album * ''Stolas'' (beetle), a genus of beetles in the family Chrysomel ...

and

A Lot Like Birds A Lot Like Birds (often abbreviated as ALLB) are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2009 in Sacramento, California. Before their breakup in 2018, ALLB had released four albums: an independent debut ''Plan B'' (2009), and three LPs under E ...

, he formed the post-hardcore supergroup Sianvar, releasing their self-titled debut EP in 2014 followed by their debut studio album, '' Stay Lost'' (2016), each on Swan's record label Blue Swan Records. After Sianvar disbanded in 2018, Swan joined the progressive rock band Royal Coda, participating on their second and third albums ''

Compassion Compassion is a social feeling that motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is sensitivity to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based ...

'' (2019) and ''To Only A Few At First'' (2022). He launched the independent record label Blue Swan Records in 2013, signing bands such as Sianvar,

, Hail the Sun, and Secret Band. In 2021, the label signed a publishing contract with BMG and partnered with Rise Records.

Early life

Will Swan was born in

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

, on December 5, 1985, where he was born and raised. He is part

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

and part Mexican. He became interested in pursuing a music career after seeing

Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...

Fillmore West The Fillmore West was a historic rock and roll music venue in San Francisco, California, US which became famous under the direction of concert promoter Bill Graham from 1968 to 1971. Named after The Fillmore at the intersection of Fillmore ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

at the age of 12, in December 1997.

Career

2003–05: Farewell Unknown

Will Swan began his music career as the founder and lead guitarist for the

band Farewell Unknown with vocalist Joel Rabara, percussionist Drew Ochwat, guitarist Alvaro Alcala, and bass guitarist Eric Lodge. The band released one studio album, ''The 40 Day Fake Out'', on October 19, 2004. After disbanding in 2005, Swan and Lodge both recruited drummer Matt Mingus and vocalists

Jon Mess Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. It consists of lead guitarist Will Swan, drummer Matthew Mingus, harsh vocalist Jon Mess, and lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells. The band for ...

and

Jonny Craig Jonathan Monroe Craig (born March 26, 1986) is an American-Canadian singer, widely recognised for his tenure as the former lead vocalist of renowned post-hardcore bands such as Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa, and then Slaves, as well as his role ...

to form the post-hardcore band

in 2005.

2005–present: Dance Gavin Dance

Dance Gavin Dance formed in

, with members Jonny Craig,

, Sean O'Sullivan, Eric Lodge, and Matthew Mingus, along with Swan. The band released their debut EP, ''

'' on November 14, 2006, later signing a recording contract with

. They released the singles "And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman" and "Lemon Meringue Tie", subsequently releasing their debut full-length studio album, ''

Downtown Battle Mountain ''Downtown Battle Mountain'' is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance, released on May 15, 2007, on Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up to the band's debut extended play, '' Whatever I Say Is Royal Oc ...

'' on May 15, 2007, through Rise and charted at No. 46 on the U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums chart. In 2008, Craig and O'Sullivan departed from the band and were later replaced by vocalist

Kurt Travis Kurt Travis (born January 16, 1984) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter from Sacramento, California. He is currently part of the post-hardcore bands Royal Coda, A Lot Like Birds, and Push Over and the math rock duo Gold Necklace, a ...

and guitarist Zac Garren, releasing their sophomore self-titled studio album, ''

'', on August 19, 2008. In 2008, vocalist Jon Mess and bass guitarist Eric Lodge left the band. Swan pursued both lead and rhythm guitar along with

unclean vocals Vocalists are capable of producing a variety of extended technique sounds. These alternative singing techniques have been used extensively in the 20th century, especially in art song and opera. Particularly famous examples of extended vocal techniq ...

and Lodge was replaced by Jason Ellis. ''

Happiness Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...

'' was released as the band's third studio album on June 9, 2009, and was led by the singles "Don't Tell Dave" and "NASA." In 2010, original vocalists Jonny Craig and Jon Mess and bass guitarist Eric Lodge rejoined the band, which subsequently Travis, Garren, and Ellis left the band, and Dance Gavin Dance recorded their fourth studio album ''

Downtown Battle Mountain II ''Downtown Battle Mountain II'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on March 8, 2011, on Rise Records. The album is a non-direct sequel to the band's full-length debut studio album, '' Downtown Battle Mo ...

'', a follow-up sequel to the band's debut studio album. The album was released on March 8, 2011, and charted at No. 82 on the Billboard 200, No. 13 on the Independent Albums chart, and No. 4 on the Hot Rock Albums chart. Craig and Lodge each left the band throughout 2012, leading to vocalist

Tilian Pearson Tilian Pearson (born July 12, 1987), also known mononymously as Tilian, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer born in Clearwater, Florida. From 2012 to 2024, he was the clean vocalist for American post-hardcore band Da ...

, bass guitarist Tim Feerick, and guitarist Josh Benton joining the band. The band released their fifth studio album, '' Acceptance Speech'' on October 8, 2013, peaking at No. 42 on the Billboard 200, No. 13 on the Alternative Albums chart, No. 7 on the Independent Albums chart and No. 6 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. With Benton leaving the band following the album's release, Dance Gavin Dance released their sixth studio album, ''

Instant Gratification ''Instant Gratification'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on April 14, 2015, on Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up to the group's fifth studio album, ''Acceptance Speech (Dance Gavin Dance al ...

'', on April 14, 2015, charting at No. 32 on the Billboard 200, becoming their best-selling album to date. In celebration of the band's 10-year anniversary, they embarked on their 10 Year Anniversary North American Tour with supporting acts

Slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

Strawberry Girls Strawberry Girls is an American rock band from Salinas, California, formed in 2011. The band is currently composed of guitarist Zac Garren, drummer Ben Rosett, and bassist Ian Jennings. All three members are multi-instrumentalists and record pr ...

, and

Dayshell Dayshell is a solo project consisting of American producer and singer-songwriter Shayley Dayshell Bourget. Formerly Of Mice & Men's clean vocalist, guitarist, and bassist, Bourget earned a dedicated fanbase with his unique vocals and input tow ...

. The tour took place from November 13 to December 19, 2015. On February 21, 2020, the group announced their ninth studio album, ''

'', with a scheduled released date of April 24, 2020. On the same day, they released its lead single "

Prisoner A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...

", accompanied with its music video. In December 2020, the group announced ''Tree City Sessions 2'', which was released to digital download and streaming platforms on December 25. The live album was accompanied with a

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

streaming event where the group performed a fan voted setlist on the

Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Listed building#Grade I, Grade I listed combined Bascule bridge, bascule, Suspension bridge, suspension, and, until 1960, Cantilever bridge, cantilever bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones ...

, which was broadcast on December 19. On March 24, 2022, the band released the single "

Synergy Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts (i.e., a non-linear addition of force, energy, or effect). The term ''synergy'' comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία ' f ...

2011–present: Secret Band

Along with other Dance Gavin Dance members Eric Lodge, Matthew Mingus, and

, Will Swan formed the band Secret Band in 2011. The name of the band derives from the idea of keeping it a secret from other members of Dance Gavin Dance, more so from vocalist Jonny Craig. The band released their self-titled debut EP in June 2014.

2013–2019: Sianvar

Sianvar is a

supergroup founded by Will Swan with Hail the Sun's

Donovan Melero Hail the Sun is an American post-hardcore band from Chico, California. Formed in 2009, the band currently consists of lead vocalist and drummer Donovan Melero, guitarist Shane Gann, guitarist Aric Garcia, bass guitarist John Stirrat, and tourin ...

(vocals),

' Sergio Medina (guitar),

' Joseph Arrington (drums, percussion), and A Lot Like Birds' Michael Franzino (bass guitar). On November 8, 2013, the band released their first single, ''Sick Machine'' through Blue Swan Records. They released the ''Sianvar'' EP on January 5, 2014. Their debut studio album, '' Stay Lost'', was released on August 4, 2016.

2019–present: Royal Coda

On June 5, 2019, Swan was announced to be a guitarist in the American post-hardcore band

, who are signed to his independent record label Blue Swan Records and consists of lead vocalist

, former

guitarist Sergio Medina, and former

drummer Joe Arrington. Swan recorded guitar and bass guitar with producer

Kris Crummett Kris Crummett is an American record producer and owner of Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon. Crummett started recording in 2002. He has worked with many notable indie music record labels, including Rise Records, Epitaph Records, Fearless Records ...

for the band's second studio album, ''

'', which was released on November 7, 2019. Swan's first tour with the group took place from September 13 to October 13, 2019, on Hail the Sun's US tour with

and VIS. In a post on Facebook,

confirmed that ''Compassion'' was a spiritual sequel to the group's 2009 studio album, ''

'', which also features both Kurt Travis and Will Swan. On July 6, 2022, the band announced their third studio album, '' To Only A Few At First'', and released two songs, "We Slowly Lose Hope For Things To Come" and "Screen Time Overload", the former of which had a music video premiere on Blue Swan Records channel on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. The band performed as support on

's US summer tour from July 26 to August 24, 2022, along with Body Thief.

Blue Swan Records

Will Swan founded and launched his own

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

, named Blue Swan Records, in early 2013. The first groups Swan signed were American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

bands

and Sianvar. The label's debut release was ''Living Creatures'' by Stolas, on March 14, 2013. The label is prominently known for signing the rock bands Hail the Sun, Icarus the Owl, Stolas and

Wolf & Bear Wolf & Bear is an American post-hardcore band from Sacramento, California. Formed in 2013, the band consists of vocalists Marcus Cisneros and Tyler Watt, guitarists Cameron Nunez and Louie Baltazar, and drummer Jacob Koval. The band originated i ...

. On February 18, 2021, it was announced that Blue Swan Records had partnered with

Discography

with Farewell Unknown

* ''The 40 Day Fake Out'' (2004)

with Dance Gavin Dance

* ''

'' (

Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...

, 2006) * ''

'' (Rise, 2007) * ''

'' (Rise, 2008) * ''

'' (Rise, 2009) * ''

'' (Rise, 2011) * '' Acceptance Speech'' (Rise, 2013) * ''

'' (Rise, 2015) * ''

Tree City Sessions ''Tree City Sessions'' is a live album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on May 13, 2016, on Rise Records. Background and recording The band announced ''Tree City Sessions'' on March 2, 2016. The live session version of "Alex En ...

'' (Rise, 2016) * ''

'' (Rise, 2018) * ''

'' (Rise, 2020) * '' Tree City Sessions 2'' (Rise, 2020) * '' Jackpot Juicer'' (Rise, 2022)

with Sianvar

* ''Sianvar EP'' (Blue Swan, 2014) * '' Stay Lost'' (Blue Swan, 2016)

with Secret Band

* ''SECRETBAND EP'' (Independent, 2011/Blue Swan, 2014) * ''Secret Band'' (Blue Swan, 2014) * ''LP2'' (Rise, 2019)

with Royal Coda

* ''

'' (Blue Swan, 2019) * ''To Only A Few At First'' (Rise & Blue Swan, 2022)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swan, Will 1985 births Living people American rock guitarists American male guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male musicians Dance Gavin Dance members