Sylvan Swanson – Pure Release

March 25, 2022, I am at Buck’s Backyard to see a group called War Pigs. I am here to capture Dan ‘M.F.’ Corona. I have never seen War Pigs before but I had seen the monster guitar player Dan Corona play before. I am excited.

Call it a ‘Simple Twist of Fate’, luck, or accidental but the end result is that I got exposed to another incredible talent, Sylvan Swanson, the lead singer. I had never seen or heard him till this night. For me many musicians, no matter how long they have been in music world, are new to me. So Sylvan was a discovery for me. But understand, he was not the regular lead singer, he was just “filling in.” He stepped in two weeks prior to be the lead singer of this Black Sabbath Tribute band. My God, what a talent. I have been fortunate to capture him several times thereafter and will continue to. This man can sing. I give you, Sylvan Swanson.

1. Who is Scott “Sylvan” Swanson?

I’m not used to being asked who I am, but rather how I’m able to execute the vocal pyrotechnics that I’m known for. My stock answer to that question is usually “I’m just some dude from Austin who yells into a microphone,” which is true on a macro level. But who am I… what drives me to sing, what has driven me to spend the past 42 years of my life screaming my lungs out on stage like my life depends upon it?

Part of it is it allows me to lose myself entirely. To stop being the anxious gay kid who was terrified of being found out. The kid who was terrified of being vilified for merely existing. The kid who heard his own elected officials clamoring to criminalize his very existence. The terrified gay kid, who despite my 59 trips around the sun, is still very much threatened by those who wish I and those like me would simply not exist — those who would if they could, simply erase us.

Howling into a microphone allowed me to become someone I was not in daily life; a veritable superhero with supernatural abilities. Someone worthy of respect and awe, rather than the anxious, self-conscious, anxiety-ridden kid who tried desperately to hide who he truly was. When I discovered that — on a good day — I have 4.5 octaves to play with, I realized I was able to do something that most people cannot do. I also realized that it was an ability that allowed me to move people, to touch them deeply. A power that could even move people to tears. A gift that allowed me to let people see the true me, rich in color and depth, yet devoid of any preconceptions.

Part of it is also pure release. I lose myself when I sing. So much so that quite often, I look at the set list and can’t remember singing half the songs printed on it. It’s not that the songs weren’t sung, I just cannot remember having done so. I’m physically singing the songs, but I’m somewhere else, lost amongst the universe of notes, chords and beats. There is an indescribable beauty to being allowed to lose one’s self in an artistic fugue — the word “transcendent” doesn’t even begin to make the cut. It is a mystical world of sound, vibrations, emotion, raw physicality, and color. Those nights lost in celestial music are usually my best performances.

I sing, therefore I am, I am, therefore I sing, but I’m also a brother, a husband, a brother-in-law, an uncle, a bookworm, a gardener, a lover of nature and the outdoors, a dog and cat dad, and underneath it all, a lifelong music fan.

2. Tell me about your projects.

For many years I played around Central Texas in an original band by the name of Call the Circle and would often appear in musicals at ZACH Theatre. For the past 12 years, I’ve been the vocalist of Mob Rules, a Dio tribute, and for the past four years, the vocalist of Defenders of the Faith, a Judas Priest tribute. I’ve also recently begun working on some original material in the studio with Rob Hacker from Butcherwhite — just some fun stuff spanning numerous genres that he’s been doing on the side with various musicians. Having not been in a studio in over a decade, it’s been rather fun.

3. Give me your interpretation of the Austin Music Scene of the past, present, and your hope for the future.

The Austin music scene has always been so diverse, creative and vibrant, and it continues to be. The fact that you can take in a live music experience on any night of the week is, to me, what makes Austin a music fan’s dream city. Some of the most talented and inspiring musicians I’ve ever had the good fortune of seeing, performing with or sharing a stage with have been right here in Austin. Our local music scene is unique, and I hope it continues to burn brightly for generations to come.

4. A.I. and music, your thoughts.

Being a bit of a science geek, I’m fascinated by technology and its capabilities. But when it comes to art, I’m old school. All art forms come from our lived human experience and I simply cannot imagine AI creating anything that could truly capture the human condition in such a way that we’d be able to connect with it on a deep level. I also worry about the fact that AI is trained using people’s artistic works without consent or payment. Most artists are already underpaid without having their work veritably stolen from them.

5. What is the question you are never asked?

I’m never asked what I like to do when I’m not performing. While it still involves music, I like to hit the hike and bike trails with my husband and lose myself in the exhilaration of a good playlist and the beauty of nature. Never underestimate an old dude on a bicycle!