Swiz was an American hardcore punk band formed in 1987 in Washington, D.C., United States.
History
The founding members were Shawn Brown, Jason Farrell, Ramsey Metcalf, Nathan Larson, and Alex Daniels. Before Swiz formed, Brown had been the original vocalist for Dag Nasty. Metcalf departed shortly after the band recorded its first demo and Swiz continued as a four-piece. The band released its first 7", Down, at the end of 1987 and its self-titled LP was released by Sammich Records in 1988. Swiz recorded its next album, Hell Yes, I Cheated, in 1989. The record also included a track by Fury, a side project that consisted of Farrell, Daniels, Brown, and Chris Thomson, on vocals. By the time Hell Yes, I Cheated was released in 1990, Larson had left the band and was replaced by Dave Stern. This line-up recorded an EP in May 1990 but broke up shortly afterwards. The EP, titled With Dave, was released posthumously in 1992 by Jade Tree Records. In 1993, Jade Tree also released No Punches Pulled, which contained the band's entire discography. Also that year, THD Records released a 7" called Rejects, which contained unused tracks from the Down sessions. Nathan Larson resurfaced with Shudder To Think and later went into soundtrack work. Jason Farrell and Dave Stern formed Bluetip in 1995. After Bluetip's demise, Farrell formed Retisonic and is also a graphic designer whose work has appeared on many records by a number of different bands. Alex Daniels played drums in Severin from 1990–1993. Shawn Brown fronted the band Jesuseater and currently works as a tattoo artist. In 1996, Brown, Farrell, Stern, and Daniels reunited under the name Sweetbelly Freakdown and released a 7" and an album on Jade Tree. In 2012, Brown, Farrell, and Stern formed a new band called Red Hare. On December 19, 2014, Swiz reunited for a surprise series of songs at a Red Hare show at Comet Ping Pong in Washington, DC. This line-up featured Brown, Farrell, Stern, and Daniels. This same Swiz line-up played an unannounced 30-minute set the next evening at the Black Cat in Washington, DC, joining Soulside and Moss Icon for reunion sets.
