Black Swedes

Black Swedes is a Seattle-based acoustic folk-rock duo drawing on the influence of Nick Drake, Wilco, Ryan Adams and Elliot Smith to create a moody yet sweetly catchy sound all their own. Their debut release, Tempest, showcases intimate and sophisticated songwriting, supported by waves of lush string and vocal arrangements.

Born from the ashes of Argo and Sea.mine, Black Swedes was formed after the demise of both bands (who had played a single show together) led frontman Ian Bell and guitarist Matt Benham, both prolific songwriters, to collaborate on a free-form studio project.

What began as three tracks evolved into material for two full-length LPs, the first of which is Tempest. Notably, neither the recording nor the band includes a drummer, a fact that goes largely unnoticed under the beating guitar rhythms and earnest, searching vocals à la Peter Gabriel and Michael Stipe.