When I met with Kevin Henderson, of The Swigs and Fish Karma, at his home, I was greeted with a hug, a cold beer, and a 1974 Creem magazine with Iggy Pop on its cover. The hug was a sheer expression of joy and mutual appreciation for the meeting of the minds about to take place. The cold beer was only appropriate for the beautiful Tucson afternoon around us and the Creem magazine that was for inspiration. It was not for me to emulate but rather to think on a time in music journalism, made up of passionate people, just having fun writing about the music that fueled their lives. Inspired, that sums up the feeling I experienced when I spoke with Kevin and now whenever I put on The Swigs, pivotal rock album, Johnson Family Values.

Johnson Family Values is one of those pure rock and roll pieces that will stand the test of time. “It really throws down the gauntlet for any rock and roll band in the God damn world. We are serious but we have a great sense of humor. We will, we will rock you.” The title is based in literature and acts as a sort of life force in Kevin's band. “It’s this William S. Burroughs thing. The last couple things he wrote were these novels that were based in the Wild West. The Johnson family is this outlaw, underground group with a heart. If the hooker on the second floor is doing her business but isn’t bothering you, you don't rat her out. But if a child is going to be hit by a car you intervene. It’s a great metaphor for what a rock and roll band is. We are there, and we got your back.”


The Swigs do seem to embody this concept. A band of groovy brothers, screaming out across the streets and bars of todays Wild West like some rock powered bullet at high noon. Yet, instead of that bullet ending in demise, it opens up the audience’s heart so that we may be receptive to the power of music. It is the seemingly other worldly strength of music that has drawn Kevin to wield it and even better use it to both our benefits. “Its expression. It’s the best damn mode of expression I can think of. It’s beautiful. It can be hard to go into dark parts we don’t like to go but we can come out of it and become elevated. It’s the ultimate. With The Swigs, none of us are doing this for some idiotic dream. We're doing it cause we have to, it has to come out. If you get a band that grooves on it, great. And if that band can affect people so they can groove on it, its utopia.”

The record, produced by Kevin and Nathan Sabatino at Loveland Studio, was crafted to match the sound of their live performances. “Most of it was a take of us in the room. We get together to work. We are not like drinking buddies, which bands can end up as now. I can bring them stuff and within a rehearsal or two it's there. You have to have a certain level of band to do that.” That high level of band consists of drummer Mike Troupe and bassist Eric Snyder, who have made up the band's line up since 2009/2010. “Mike my drummer, is probably one of the best in the world. Eric Snyder, I have known for years. It just sort of happened. We sell the fact that we are an amazing live band. We could open for anyone.”


Original tracks, “Transmissions” and “Raw Little Animal” really speak to Kevin's spirit. “We all have negative voices in our head. “Transmissions” is a banishing spell on that.” “Raw Little Animal” is Kevin's answer to the “misogyny and hatred of women” present in hip hop. “With all my fondness for carnality, I wanted to express it in a way that stands, without being a prick about it. I’m very proud of that. Alright, were gonna talk about sex and female raunchiness and applaud female raunchiness but with respect. I hate all the misogyny that came out of hip hop. I despise the hatred of women. We can get raunchy but raunchy doesn’t mean you hate women.”

The band is currently working on their new album, Purl, an archaic term for a beer infused with wormwood. Kevin is aiming to take the emotional territory of “Raw Little Animal,” and expand on it, delving deeper into the human condition. “Maybe we can talk about more things that are kind of shoved under the rug, with respect and just enjoy. We are moving into deeper stuff, like what a relationship is. I'm not about kid stuff. It’s all about growing it up; otherwise it just wouldn't be worth the trouble. We are getting into emotional territory that is not necessarily rock around the clock.” The Swigs plan to utilize more acoustic instruments and space on this album to compliment that often dark emotional ground that we all either hold on to or release.

When reflecting on Johnson Family Values, Kevin says, “It will stand the test of time. I really don't care if it takes people ten years to realize it. I’m proud of it as an artifact of my crazy year of 2010-2011. I think it means that to more than just me and people will follow that.”
Sometimes it takes us years to find a mentor, someone as excited and willing as you are for the driving forces of your life. I took a happy shortcut, or maybe won the mentor lottery, or had made the right personal connections. Who knows? However I got it, I’m really pleased to find someone like Kevin, who wants to nurture those who just want to share this great, connecting energy that is music. As I started walking home into the much colder evening, I thought about what Kevin had to say about love. “Love, with a capital L, is a huge, supreme power, but love, on occasion, can be beat by this wonderful trio of human stupidity, repetition compulsion, and fear. Love, real love is such a power but a lot of the time poor ol' love is up against stupidity, habit, and fear and they will win.” With a Creem magazine in my lap and my fingers ready to type up the next heartfelt word, I have found my means to combat the “trio” and help love win. I can’t think of a better soundtrack to become inspired by right now then Johnson Family Values.

Pictures by fotovitamina 2011