Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Swam.
Hi Joe, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Music has always been a huge part of my life, and I’ve played guitar casually for about half of it. But for most of that time, it was something I did at home for myself. I never practiced with any particular purpose, and I certainly never imagined I’d play music in front of people. Singing while playing seemed completely absurd, I couldn’t do it and I didn’t need to do it.
Three years ago, I suffered a pretty serious back injury. At the time, I wasn’t sure I’d even walk normally again. It was very dark period for me and I was experiencing some really ugly thoughts. A lot of the things I enjoyed doing revolved around being physically active, so suddenly heavy deadlifts and kettlebell swings weren’t exactly viable hobbies. I started thinking about things I’d enjoyed earlier in my life but had gotten away from — drawing, skateboarding, reading, playing guitar.
Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam was a big inspiration during that period. He’s a renaissance man — musician, artist, skateboarder — and I set myself a goal of getting healthy enough to ride a skateboard again. I posted about it on Instagram, Jeff saw it, reached out and sent me a skateboard. It was an incredibly kind gesture and he continues to be a huge inspiration. All of Pearl Jam is an inspiration to me.
Of all those “new” old hobbies, though, guitar was the one that really stuck. I bought a cheap guitar at a yard sale to keep at work, and I began playing during my lunch break every day. Eventually I got curious about the local music scene. I started going out to see people perform, partly because I wanted to see whether playing an open mic might be something I could work toward someday.
The second local performer I went to see was Shane Grimm. We became friends pretty quickly, initially because of music, but it grew into something much bigger than that. Shane is now my closest friend and, for all practical purposes, family. Our wives have become good friends, too. We spend a lot of time together outside of music and even take family vacations together — our second one is coming up this October.
That friendship changed my relationship with music, too. With encouragement from Shane and our friend Joe Teague, I eventually worked up the nerve to play my first open mic. And that led to writing my own songs and now playing in a band, actually two bands, with Shane. We’re writing and arranging songs and working toward our first album together. Along the way, I’ve also found this incredible community of local musicians, artists, and creative people that I’m grateful to be a small part of.
I don’t know where it leads. I’m not particularly concerned with that anymore. I’m writing songs, making a record with one of my closest friends, and creating things that didn’t exist before.
The rest is history that’s still being written.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but I also don’t want to make it sound harder than it has been. I’m incredibly fortunate to get to do this.
The biggest struggles have probably been getting out of my own way. I started performing relatively late in life, surrounded by people who have been playing and singing in front of audiences for decades. It’s very easy to compare yourself to them and focus on all the things they can do that you can’t. But I’m learning to compare less and be more excited about what I can do.
Singing in front of other people for the first time was terrifying. But I got through it. There are still plenty of insecurities, but I’ve become pretty comfortable with being a beginner, making mistakes in public, and figuring things out as I go.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m not sure I’m “known” for anything, but I write songs that tend to be story-driven and rooted in everyday life. I suppose there’s a sadness to most of them, but I think that sadness is caused by something beautiful on the other end. No one’s ever been sad about losing something that didn’t matter to them. So if you’re sad, for a while something was beautiful and important to you. That’s the perspective I’m coming from.
I’m proud of the lyrics I’ve written. I’m just an adequate guitar player, but I think I’ve been able to mine the world around me and my own experiences for lyrics and ideas that connect with people who listen.
If it’s helpful to put music into categories, what I do is probably best described as alt-country or Americana, with a little folk and rock mixed in. Pearl Jam lyrics are bonded with my DNA at this point, so they’re inescapable as an influence.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My parents. They’ve always encouraged me to be myself, even when I’m sure they weren’t entirely sure what that was going to look like.
My wife, Shelley. Her husband came to her at 51 and said, “Hey, I think I’m gonna start playing music in front of strangers.” She’s taken that in stride, supported me completely, and made a ton of great friends along the way. She’s the better Swam by a lot.
Shane Grimm and Joe Teague. If you’d told me ten years ago that I’d meet the two best friends I’ve ever had after turning 50, there’s no way I would have believed you. But that’s exactly what happened. They’ve supported and encouraged me every step of the way.
There are a lot of other people in our local music community I could name, too. One of the things I’ve been most surprised by is how generous people have been with their time, encouragement, and friendship. I showed up pretty late to the party, but they’ve made me feel like I belong here.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswam_music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoeSwamMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jswammusic
- Other: https://joeswam.bandcamp.com/
