French rockers The Rotten Swing have recently unveiled their debut EP, “Ep1” on major streaming platforms. Thanks to Samy, lead guitarist and singer, learn more about this EP and the band's upcoming projects!
[caption id="attachment_202951" align="alignnone" width="800"] Picture by Lilly Green Photographie[/caption]
Hey The Rotten Swing! For those who might discover your band via this interview, would you mind introducing yourselves?
Hello everyone, we are a power trio based in the south of France, in the area of Toulon city. Pascal Gimenez is the bassist, Theo Santinacci is on the drums, and I'm Samy Prou, playing the lead guitar and lead vocal in the band.
How was The Rotten Swing formed?
We knew each other for some years, but we were always playing in other project or, just being not available. But we were always telling each other like “Woow dude, you are killin’ it on the drums”, “Oww guy, you are a freaking bassist” (laughs). So it was just a matter of time and chance before we cross the sword together, and I'm glad we actually did, because the music connection is really strong and we are proud of the music.
You have recently revealed your debut EP “Ep1” on major streaming platforms. How long have you worked on these songs?
We actually worked one year, writing songs, and we chose 5 of them. The process was actually suspended by the covid pandemic and lockdown in France. But we managed to keep working and when we finally could go back to work, we went to the “Cooltrain studio” in Aubagne, France, to record it.
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What about your writing process? How did you split the roles within the different band members?
Everything starts with just some ideas, most of the time, I come to the rehearsal with just a verse and a chorus of a song, then, when jam it till the bones... we improvise on it... and so we naturally find idea for the intro, the bridge, the outro etc... The improvisation phase is also really important to us, so we do not get bored, and so every time we play a song, it's always a singular version of the song.
We did record live in the studio, so most of the time, on the singing part, it's prepared and have a precise structure... but when you hear the record, the instrument going crazy, it’s improvisation but everybody is right on time. It's such a blast.
What influenced you the most for the composition of this EP?
(laughs) our first EP would have been called “Citation” because you can hear a lot of our influences... the oh sees, mars red sky, zappa, hendrix, metallica, nirvana, john scofield, stevie ray vaughan and so much more. It's some of our first songs so, maybe we had an unexpected need to pay tribute to where we are from.
You mentioned that you all have background in blues and jazz. Did the codes of these two musical styles allow you to add an extra touch to this EP? If yes, how?
As I mentioned before, even if we play big, rock sound music, we do improvise a lot. We both have been fan of blues and jazz music, and actually the three of us have played in a lot of local blues and jazz band too... It's an amazing school. I will recommend it to all the musicians in the world, it perfects your ears and your spontaneity on music situations... So Pascal and Theo are able to follow me, like they can follow a blues singer or a jazz lead saxophone. I just throw ideas, riffs, solo, and everyone react like a sport car to it.
Any chance we can expect “Ep2” in a near future?
We are actually working on it, probably album format with more songs on it... and we feel like the news songs sound more personal, mature and ambitious. The sound of the trio starts to be more singular and unique; I hope you will be able to hear it soon.
The last words are for you. If you have any other projects in the making or a message to convey, here's your chance!
Thanks Valentine and Distrolution for your positive feedback, your time and this interview. To everyone: you are here at the start and we’re gonna keep on doing impressive music for music lovers.
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