Norman Westberg
Norman Westberg is an American guitarist best known for his work with Swans, joining the band for the recording of their 1983 debut album Filth and appearing on every album except the 1992 album Love of Life and the 1996 album Soundtracks for the Blind, though his playing is sampled throughout the latter record. Westberg became a full-time Swans member once again when Michael Gira reformed the group in 2010.
Career
Norman Westberg was born in Detroit, United States. He moved to New York City in 1980. He has older sisters and a brother, who turned him on to music. Initially, Westberg was interested in playing drums, but "something about the guitar overshadowed that". Before joining Swans, Westberg started a band with a friend from a punk rock club, "Bookies", and was a member of Carnival Crash.Westberg became a member of Swans after meeting the band's bass guitarist Harry Crosby at a house party, where Westberg was playing with his band Carnival Crash. Crosby asked Westberg if he wanted to audition for his band, and Wesberg agreed, passing the audition.
In 2016, Swans announced a change of the lineup, and Westberg was one of the people who left the band's consistent lineup, but continued collaborating with Swans. In February 2019, Swans recorded a new album later released as Leaving Meaning. Westberg played on "a couple of songs", including "Hums". Westberg played guitar on "Ebbing" from 2023 Swans album The Beggar, and would return to full member status on the band's next album Birthing.
Solo and collaborations
Westberg's guitar can be heard on many Swans side projects including The Body Haters and appeared on several solo albums by Jarboe. Westberg was for a short-time a member of The Heroine Sheiks with Shannon Selberg as well as John Fell. Aside from the present incarnation of Swans he has been playing in the NYC bands NeVAh and Five Dollar Priest . Westberg also appeared in a short film The Right Side of My Brain directed by Richard Kern and starring Lydia Lunch.Westberg made his first solo guitar performance in the 90s at The Cooler, but Westberg didn't like the way he played. Before he returned to solo recording, Westberg has been figuring out a way that would be enjoyable to him. He started "plugging all of his effects boxes into all of his tiny amps and let the guitar do what it wanted, only manipulating the boxes".
In 2011, Westberg made a recording for his father-in-law, a saxophone player in the Navy’s band and music teacher. Jennifer, Westberg's spouse, heard the recording and encouraged him to sell them as limited edition custom made CDs. On February 25, 2012, Westberg released the recordings as two albums: Plough and Limited Edition of 75. Plough is a four-track EP recorded from 2006 to 2009 and features Westberg coupling guitar with banjo and DX drum machine. Limited Edition of 75, a one fifteen-minute-long ambient piece, pressed onto a disc decorated with an MRI pattern taken from the CD with Westberg's MRI scan. Both CD-Rs are packaged in handmade sleeves: Plough with a signed inner and Limited Edition of 75 signed and numbered on the disk itself.
In February 2014 Westberg released a third limited edition solo CD entitled 13, which was then reissued through the ROOM40 record label on November 13, 2015.
In 2014, Westberg joined with Mark Shippy, Jim Sykes, Matthew Wascovich, and Mike Watt to form the art rock project band Hidden Rifles. Their debut album, Across The Neighborhoods, was released in October 2017.
Personal life
In 2006, Norman Westberg married Jennifer Tull Westberg. Jennifer is a jeweler, and created the rings for their wedding. They have a daughter, Mina, born in 2009.Influence
Westberg draws inspiration from blues guitarists, which include Mick Ronson, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Hunter, Dick Wagner, J. Geils, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Ron Asheton, James Williamson, Andy Gill, Rowland S. Howard, Stevie Shears, Keith Levene, Tom Verlaine, and Richard Lloyd.Discography
Swans
| Year | Title |
| 1983 | Filth |
| 1984 | Cop |
| 1986 | Greed |
| 1986 | Holy Money |
| 1987 | Children of God |
| 1989 | The Burning World |
| 1991 | White Light from the Mouth of Infinity |
| 1995 | The Great Annihilator |
| 2010 | My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky |
| 2012 | The Seer |
| 2014 | To Be Kind |
| 2016 | The Glowing Man |
| 2019 | Leaving Meaning |
| 2025 | Birthing |
The Heroine Sheiks
| Year | Title |
| 2000 | Rape on the Installment Plan |
| 2002 | Siamese Pipe |