The Jimmy Swift Band


The Jimmy Swift Band is a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia that combines elements of rock, jam, and electronica. Their band currently consists of 4 members, Craig Mercer on guitar and vocals, Mike MacDougall on bass, Aaron Collier on keyboards and effects, and Nick Wombolt on drums, the band has been most often described as rocktronica.

Career

Formed in the late 1990s by members of the now-defunct band PF Station, JSB's name comes from the title of a subject in one of PF Station's songs, "A Night in the Life of Fly Jimmy Swift." Before their current name, the band was previously known as Fly Jimmy Swift.
Combining guitar and a distinctly electronica keyboard sound with a rock rhythm section, the band is known for its live show with lengthy progressive instrumental jams.
The band has released five studio albums, two live albums, a live 5.1 concert DVD, a remix album, and a package on 8-track tape. They've won three East Coast Music Awards and numerous Music [Industry Association of Nova Scotia] awards over the past 15 years.
In 2004, the band produced their first video for the single "Two Hands on the Wheel" with New Brunswick filmmaker Greg Hemmings. On November 28, 2006, JSB released an animated video produced by Copernicus Studios for the single "Turnaround", from the album Weight of the World.
For close to 15 years, the band played up to 250 shows a year across Canada and the US, with stints in Asia and the Bahamas. They were considered instrumental in the development of Eastern Canada's Evolve Festival and Prince Edward Island's Shoreline Festival. Other events include Moedown, Haymaker, the World Electronic Music Festival, Canada Day celebrations in Bermuda, and more. The group is at the head of the Atlantic Canada jam scene and frequently plays with fellow scenemates Grand Theft Bus and Slowcoaster.
On May 13, 2011, it was announced by Aaron Collier on his website that the band had decided to break up. Three years later, the band announced it would be touring Eastern Canada for one final tour, ending with a performance at the Evolve Music Festival in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Aaron Collier has gone on to a career in theatre, founding the Heist theatre company with his husband Richie Wilcox and becoming best known for his play The Princess Show.

Discography

Albums

  • Now They Will Know We Were Here – 2001
  • Onward Through the Fog – 2003
  • The Rebirth Of Hooch – 2004
  • Precious Gems & Rarities – 2005
  • Weight of the World – 2006
  • When All Is Said And Done......There'll Be A Lot More Said Than Done – 2011

PF Station

  • Ahh Yeah – 1998

Videos

  • "Turnaround"