TAKE A LOOK AT THE PAST
"Combustible avant-folk anarchy from Catalonia. Miles off the mainstream musical map,
Barcelona quartet Seward make a ragged and impassioned racket that borders on outsider art.
The final chapter in a loose trilogy that began in 2011, Second Two: Chapter Home is a
churning maelstrom of Arcade Fire-sized avant-folk shanties layered with toy keyboards,
shuffles and yelps, clonks and whirrs. Their imploded rhythms and scrambled melodies sometimes
feel like dead ends, but more focused tracks like Sesame and Sweet Kick gather a real emotional force.
Their secret weapon is singer Adriano Galante, who yokes all these unruly threads together with a piercing,
scalded, strangulated falsetto to rival Jeff Buckley”.
Stephen Dalton for Uncut Magazine.
"There is life in Seward’s music, a humanity that most bands find near-impossible to weave
into
their music. Sesame, for example, is gorgeous – truly gorgeous – when it allows itself to momentarily
blossom; if, of course,
you have wholeheartedly bought into the song. Seward are boldly serious in an age of wimpy irony: they mean
it, and are not afraid
of holding this honesty up for their audience. They tease their audiences’ understanding of their intent,
slathering terrifically complex,
often fun, often simply abstract, songs over the top of their honesty. There are many bands who approach
music like Seward do.
They are all, without exception, shit. They are all indulgent, self-centred, and unkind to their audience.
Seward are the exact opposite: their timing is perfect, their noises are specific and considered, and their
purpose may not be defined,
but it is rational. The band is lost in the beauty of noise-making, and the path it beats into human
consciousness”.
Joe Sparrow for A New Band A Day.
"Because popular music, Seward ain’t. Like a chorus of Catherine wheels set loose in a
musical thrift shop,
this Spanish five-some may look like a band of antique dealers, but carry an incredibly ability to veer from
tender intimacy to
swashbuckling romp within eight bar passages – blending intelligence, theatricality and grandiose eloquence
in a package that defines
why alternative art can be so thrilling. People write manifestos proclaiming themselves as alternative
visionaries,
but achieve nothing close to the unpredictable, eccentrically cohesive whole that Seward whip up, which
contains as much
for the informed insider as it does the engrossed newbie. Quietly free of self-consciousness or modern
distribution
(we had to beg them just to put a song on Soundcloud), Seward’s sound hints at the kind of bonkers
storm”.
Line Of Best Fit.
"Barcelona-borne Seward return for the 2nd release and they have grown in stature and confidence.
They beauty of the music here is a restless almost experimental approach to the music,
with jerky rhythms and audacious guitar work playing a game of chicken with the soaring,
anthemic vocals. It makes for an incessantly feel-good, life-affirming mix that doesn't sit in any
ready-made pigeonholes.
It might be hard to imagine a 90s american deconstructionist rock band (think U.S. Maple or June of '44)
fronted by a bone-fide emotional firecracker vocalist on the edge of heartbreak and revelation..
but that is the curious space Seward have made their own".
Rough Trade Record Shop.
"Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band sprung to mind as did Tom Waits then the passion of American
Music Club’s Mark Eitzel
but there was a humour here too; the band smiling at their own strange twists and turns. Jazz, rock’n’roll,
folk picking,
punk gang vocals and chain gang hollers colliding with singer songwriter nakedness then floating off on
Godspeed style sonic journeys.
My favourite band. We need to demand them to come back as they are amazing live, really amazing".
John Kennedy for Rockfeedback & XFM.
"They’re just a wee bit fuckin’ mental…", comments a Scottish acquaintance well known for
deranged and excessive behaviour
at gigs (though recently off the booze) after two songs. Bloody hell, if he thinks they’re mental… Mind you,
the singer has just stood
up and, off-mic, given him (just him) a pseudo-religious blessing. As you do. There are samples of spooky
childrens’ voices,
hard tribal drums, strings of bells, a gong and some thoroughly out-there avant-folk-free-jazz songs built
around the seated
singer / banjo player’s free-range operatic howls. There are wild trips like Captain Beefheart having a
party in a Mediterranean
olive grove. It’s at once impenetrably strange and so feel-good you’re compelled to stamp along. At the end,
the odd bow-tied quartet stand and the applause continues until they’ve actually left the room.
Outstanding".
Louder Than War.
2020
15th January . Freeward . Espai Jove Boca Nord . Barcelona
16th January . Home: A Collection . Heliogábal . Barcelona
17th January . What The Fuck Seward Session . Nau Bostik . Barcelona
18th January . Konvent vs. Pumarejo . Pumarejo . L'Hospitalet del Llobregat
19th January . Banda Sonora Accidental: Blade Runner . Cinemes Maldà . Barcelona
21st January . Desprendimientos . Convent de Sant Agustí . Barcelona
22nd January . Seward presenta: Cachete . Absenta del Raval . Barcelona
23th January . We Prefer To Gandula! . Centre Civic Albareda . Barcelona
24th January . Discoforum . La Iguana . Barcelona
25th January . 10 Anys de Seward . Vol . Barcelona
24th February . Robadors 23 . Barcelona
26th February . Banda Sonora Accidental: Blade Runner . Artte . Barcelona
28th February . Za! + Seward + Los Sara Fontán . CC Conde Duque . Madrid
17th July . Convent de Pontòs . Girona
26th July . Terrassa Música Moderna . Barcelona
24th September . Teatre Grec . Mercè Música . Barcelona
16th October . Les ombres de la paraula . BCN Poesia . Barcelona
2019
25th January . 9th Anniversary Party w/ Sara Fontán . La Nau . Barcelona . Catalunya
10th February . Performing Blade Runner Accidentally . Cinemascore . Paraninfo . Castellón
9th March . Performing Blade Runner Accidentally . Ferrol . Galicia
10th March . Performing Blade Runner Accidentally . Gijón . Asturias
17th Marc . Performing Blade Runner Accidentally . Retina . Las Armas . Zaragoza . Zaragoza
23rd March . Poetry Festival w/ Javier Gallego Crudo . Sant Feliu . Catalunya
27th April . Gandula Fest w/ Za, Blood Quartet, 13YearCicada, Pranke… . Konvent Puntzero . Berga
24th May . El Grito en el Cielo w/ Javier Gallego Crudo . Fabra i Coats . Barcelona
22nd June . Carne Cruda 10 Años. Razzmatazz . Barcelona . Catalunya
5th July . Poesía i + . El Grito en el Cielo w/ Javier Gallego Crudo . Mataró . Catalunya
5th July . Festus Torelló . Torelló . Catalunya
22nd-23th July . Taller “La canción libre y el instrumento colectivo” y concierto . Frías . Spain
16th August . Javier Gallego Crudo + Seward at Konven Punt Zero . Berga . Catalunya
17th August . Festival FLAAM . Nitra . Slovakia
30th August . Baignade Interdite Festival . Rivières . France
7th September . El Grito en el Cielo w/ Javier Gallego Crudo . Toledo . Spain
12th October . MUR Festival (Música Urbana Reivindicativa) . Mallorca . Spain
22nd November . Biblioteca Comarcal de Tàrrega . Tàrrega . Catalunya
2018
19-20 January . Ibiza/Mallorca .
16th, 17th, 18th February . Reconstructing Jesus Christ Superstar w/ Jordi Oriol . L'Auditori . Barcelona
5th March . La Cabrera . Madrid
15th March . El Pumarejo . Barcelona
13th April . Primavera als Barris . Sant Boi . Barcelona
11th May . Primavera als Barris . Sant Boi . Barcelona
27th May . Festival Embarrat . Tárrega
31st May . FGO Barbara . Paris
9th June . Barcelona Creative Commons Film Festival w/ Javier Gallego Crudo . Barcelona
16th June . Festival Vociferio w/ Javier Gallego Crudo . Valencia
27th June . Artte . Barcelona
29th June . Muerte Festival . Sitges
18th July . Madrid . TBA
27th July . Festival FMM Sines . Portugal
31st August . Albacete . TBA
8th September . Murcia . TBA
11th October . L'Automàtica w/ Bonafide Rojas . Barcelona
13th October . Nit de Totes . Hosted by Seward with Nuu, Balago, Bonafide Rojas & The Mona Passage, Marina Herlop, Carles Viarnès & Narcoléptica . Konvent Puntzero . Berga
20th October . Keroxen . Tenerife
1st November . Crossing Border . The Hague
14th December . Spy Music Club . Barcelona
2017
17th Dec - 6th Jan . Antigua i Barbuda BSO . Plaza Cataluña . 6 Shows a Day . Barcelona
10th January . Tribute to Bowie . Razzmatazz . Barcelona . [Seward Octet performing Blackstar]
28th January . El Pumarejo . Barcelona . [Noisy, If Possible]
1st February . L'Antic Theatre w/ poet Javier Gallego (Carne Cruda) & Los Voluble - McNulty Prod. . Barcelona
2nd - 5th February . London . TBA . [All & All & All]
24th February . Parc Sandaru . Barcelona . [Gentle]
21st April . #4Raons . La Capsa . El Prat del Llobregat . [Gentle]
28th - 30th April . Palo Market Fest . Fabra i Coats . Barcelona . [All & All & All]
14th May . Hiroshima . Barcelona . [Noisy, If Possible]
25th May . w/ 42 Djs Found in Seward, Foehn. Depósito Legal . L'Hospitalet del Llobregat . [Quiet, If Possible]
27th May . Auditori de l'Ateneu . Banyoles . [Gentle]
28th May . Poetry Festival w/ poet Javier Gallego (Carne Cruda) . Madrid
9th June . Sala Maravillas . Madrid
10th June . Konvent Puntzero . Berga
5th July . La Bisbal
6th July . w/ John Davis & The Cicadas . Robadors . Barcelona
7th July . w/ John Davis & The Cicadas . Konvent Puntzero . Berga
8th July . Fest Arbouse Records . Sales-la-sourse . France
15th July . Exploding Plastic Fest . Barcelona
10th August . Festival Noroeste . La Coruña
13th September . Jazz Off Festival . Colmar . France
15th September . Petit Bain . Sourdoreille Party . Paris . France
20th October . Centro Cívico Albareda . Barcelona
28th October . El Grito En El Cielo = Seward + Javier Gallego Crudo . Periferias . Huesca . [Música y Poesía]
18th November . El Grito En El Cielo = Seward + Javier Gallego Crudo . Ateneu 9Barris . Barcelona . [Música y Poesía]
24th November . Seward + Ainara Legardon . Begood . Barcelona . [Música]
30th November . Seward + Adriana Vila y Luis Macías . Fabra i Coats . Barcelona . [Música y Cine Experimental]
25th - 30th December . #WePreferTo Release Parties w/ Za, Os Meus Shorts, Duot, Crudo, Ylia Beat, Pol Batlle, Marina Herlop, Marcel Bagés . El Pumarejo. Barcelona
2016
18th February . Seward + Cráter Labs . Zumzeig Cinema . Barcelona
27th February . Hot Blues . Igualada
19th March . Downtown Market . Barcelona
11th May . Naim Records Release Show . St. Pancras Old Church . London
28th May . Poetry Festival . Madrid
3th June . Microclima Sound. Ultra Local Records . Barcelona
9th June . 7 Gigs in One Day . Barcelona
10th June . Foehn Records Party . Barcelona
2nd July . Mortfort Festival . Curated by Seward . Girona
30th September . Mercat de les Flors with Antigua i Barbuda . Barcelona
18th October . Petit Halle . Paris
19th October . Balades Sonores . Paris
21st October . Begood Curated by Heliogàbal . Barcelona
29th October . 15th Foehn Records Anniversary . Barcelona
24th November . Antigua i Barbuda BSO . Christmas City Lights Opening . Barcelona
23th December . Cronopios . Barcelona . [Kind of Silent]
2015
1st & 2nd January . Círcol Maldà . Barcelona
11th June . SON Estrella Galicia . Teatro del Arte . Madrid
13th June . Caprichos de Apolo . Sala Apolo . Barcelona
10th July . Festival Cruilla . Barcelona
11th July . Pohoda Festival . Svätý Jur
12th July . Art Café . Banská Štiavnica
13th July . Gorila Urban Space . Bratislava
31st July - 1st August . Beseda U Bigbitu Festival . Tazov
21st August . Dan's Silverleaf . Denton
22th August . Live Oak . Fort Worth
30th September . IFF Conference . Camden Proud . London
1st October . Macbeth . London
16th October . Jazzhouse Wochenende #2 . Hamburg
8th November . Nova Jazz Cava . Terrassa
14th November . Alternativa Festival . Prague
2014
15th January . Paradiso . Amsterdam
17th January . Eurosonic . Upstairs at De Spieghel . Groningen
1st March . Mil.lenni Festival . Auditori . Barcelona
13th March . Ciclo MUD . Lleida
21st May . Vida Festival . Barcelona
10-12th July . Exit Festival . Novi Sad
10-12th July . Pohoda Festival . Svätý Jur
17th July . Arezzo Wave Festival . Arezzo
11-18th August . Sziget Festival . Budapest
21st September . BAM Festival . Barcelona
1st November . Hot Blues . Igualada
12th November . TBA . London
13th November . The Barfly . London
29th November . Café Berlín . Madrid
2013
12th January . BandAutors . Petit Palau . Palau de la Música . Barcelona
8th March . Auditori . Girona
14th -17th March . Vive Latino . DF . México
21st March . Film Club Café . Naucalpan . México
22th May . This Is Not A Love Song . Primavera Sound. Barcelona
20th July . Petit Festival . Burg
8th August . Can Rin . Cabrils
13th September . MMVV - Mercat de Música Viva . Vic
31st October . Live Sessions Day Festival . Lleida
10th November . Jazz Cava . Terrassa
19th November . BIME Festival . Bilbao
23th November . Café Berlin . Madrid
14th December . w/ Za! . Razzmatazz . Barcelona
2012
16th March . SXSW . Austin
24th March . Canadian Music Week . Toronto
9th May . Breakout in assoc with Music Week . Proud Galleries . Camden . London
10th May . The Windmill . Brixton . London
11th May . Prince Albert . The Great Escape . 2pm and 9.15pm . Brighton
24th May . Razzmatazz . Barcelona
23rd September . BAM Festival . Plaza Real . Barcelona
8th October . De Prop . La Pedrera . Barcelona
16th October . Momo . 9pm . 25 Heddon St W1B 4BH . London
17th October . XFM X-Posure . Barfly . London
18th October . The Windmill . Brixton