New York experimental outfit Swans have added dates to their upcoming European tour.
Last year they announced they’d play London’s Roundhouse on May 21 – now they’ve added a further four shows in the UK and Ireland.
It’s in support of 2014’s To Be Kind album and digital spin-off EP Oxygen, which launched in November. The EP featured four versions of the track, which mainman Michael Gira said he wrote after suffering a severe asthma attack.
He told Pitchfork: “Breathing and having a heartbeat are things that we’re completely not conscious of most of the time and take for granted. As someone who’s had severe bouts of asthma, I’m conscious of what it feels like to not be able to breathe – I was hospitalised for it. The song was written after a particularly severe asthma attack.
“I had this event once when I was alone at my old house after my divorce. I was sitting, and suddenly I coughed, and whatever was in there lodged in my throat. I just couldn’t breathe at all, and I was by myself. I panicked. I really started to pass out and realised I was fucking going to die if I didn’t do something.”
He added: “I just threw myself down on the ground repeatedly, and finally got a pinhole. I was slowly able to calm down and expand that pinhole and get oxygen. It took maybe 10 minutes. And then I lit a cigarette and had a beer.”
Swans UK and Ireland tour dates
May 20: Bristol Marble Factory
May 21: London Roundhouse
May 23: Glasgow Art School
May 24: Belfast Mandela Hall
May 25: Dublin Button Factory
