SWMRS Returns After Successful Tour With “New Horse” And New Energy

A surprisingly strong summer for new music continues with a Soundcloud-exclusive track from SWMRS.

I first stumbled upon SWMRS while in college during the summer of 2017, fresh off the release of their debut album “Drive North”. Flash forward to April 2026 and I’m watching the band play a gig on the album’s 10th anniversary tour. Even better, guitarist Max Becker invited me up on stage to play one of my all time favorites, “Lose Lose Lose”, in what was one of the most exciting and terrifying moments of my guitar playing career. You know that online joke about how all these demo and review folks can’t cut it on a real stage? I think I did okay as a rhythm guitarist all things considered.

All jokes and stage fright aside, the band’s tour ended and it is clear they have been busy off stage. While they had played a new, unreleased song “Mexican Punks” on tour, the first new release is “New Horse” that has the band back to their genre-bending best. I have always loved how much the band reminded me of The Clash, not in terms of copying their style or sound, but in how they were never afraid to borrow from all sorts of music styles. They’ve had electronic-tinged songs, hardcore songs, pop punk, alt rock, and so many other flavors of music mixed throughout their discography. “New Horse” has hints of rap, reggae, ska, pop, and punk all blended together.

Lead guitarist Max dials in a modulated guitar tone that sounds like a detuned chorus lead over a lesser detuned upstroke pattern. Huge distortion cuts through at various points, showcasing the band still hasn’t shed ALL their energetic punk roots. This song really works in my opinion, as SWMRS seemingly is drifting closer towards their first two albums with the mix of worldly observations, political commentary, and punk-ish songwriting. I have loved all their records, but the first two really hit home and I think that was driven home on this recent tour, at least on the gig I was at. Folks went crazy over the “Drive North” tracks and it’s nice to see them looking back towards that energy with “New Horse”.

It’s a bit dialed back, as the band’s certainly in a different place, but it’s almost like age- and scene-appropriate energy. It takes a lot of the musicianship and layered songwriting from “Becker” but goes back to the a wavy, almost carefree tone that was more apparent on “Drive North”. Whatever the genesis of the song is, it’s good music and hopefully more will be following soon ahead of the band’s scheduled tour of the US.