Kane stated that 'Sue was the most fearsome guitarist we'd ever heard in New York. Hanel's only recordings with the group are on the compilation Body to Body, Job to Job, but the ambiguous personnel credits do not make it clear on which songs she performed. Jon Tessler also played metal percussion and tape loops in another variation of the line-up with Gira on bass, Moore on guitar, and Kane on Drums. The earliest known lineup of Swans comprised Gira on bass guitar and vocals, Jonathan Kane on drums, Sue Hanel on guitar, Mojo on percussion and tape loops and Thurston Moore, Dan Braun or Jonathan Tessler on the second bass guitar. Gira's summation of the name follows along the lines of: 'Swans are majestic, beautiful looking creatures. Michael Gira has repeatedly stated he took the moniker Swans as it described the sound he wanted best. Early years (1982–1985) Initial influences The band was formed and has been led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira, here shown performing in Kansas City, Missouri in September 2012. Since 1990, all Swans records have been released through Gira's own label, Young God Records.

The band's latest album, Leaving Meaning, was released on October 25, 2019. Since 2019, Gira has been touring and recording with Swans as 'a revolving cast of contributors'. This iteration of the group performed its last shows in November 2017, ending the tour in support of its final album The Glowing Man. In 2010, Gira re-formed the band without Jarboe, establishing a stable lineup of musicians which has toured worldwide and released four albums to critical acclaim. Jarboe remained the band's only constant member except Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.

Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. One of the few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans have become recognized for an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Swans is an American experimental rock band formed in 1982 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira.

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