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When I was a kid first getting into music, R.E.M. was the second band whose discography I completely explored and absorbed. Because of that, their ’83 debut Murmur has always held a special place in my heart…but boy would I not be capable of covering it. Which between myself and Austin’s Swiss Banks makes one of us. Swiss Banks was born between guitarist Lane Fielder and singer-songwriter Adam Buhrman, who initially linked up under the pretense of re-interpolating Murmur. From there on it didn’t take long at all for the two to plunge face-first into the pantheon of post-punk and art-glam-rock greats like David Bowie, The Smiths, Joy Division, and The Cure. When they recruited percussionist Joey Alves, the trio began performing as “Hippo”. But after drawing direct comparisons to their ’80s influences along with contemporaries like Interpol, Swiss Banks retreated to Buhrman’s home studio to reinvent their style.
Today, Swiss Banks has finally re-surfaced with their inaugural single. Despite its title, “RIP” is just the beginning for Swiss Banks rhythmic, goth-instilled, retro sound, which you’ll hear more of on their upcoming eponymous introduction, produced by Modern Medicine collaborator Carey McGraw. So strap yourself into the time machine, set course for forty years back, and try not to let “RIP” lay your workweek motivation to rest.
