For many in the Wood River Valley, hearing the band name “The Swiveltones” may just bring back some good ole’ memories. After all, the band’s heyday lies mostly in the 1980s in Idaho, during a time when they had a hit single on the local KECH radio and gigs were played at the iconic Slavey’s (on the corner of Sun Valley Road and Main). With musical influences ranging from Steve Pearson to Joe Jackson to Keith Richards, the band managed to cultivate a following when they were just 16-year-old kids and are continuing to do so today. The six-piece band made up of Drew Kirk, Jim Olson, Kelly Johnson, Brian Hobson, Steve Morrell, and Steve Smart have come out of their self-imposed 26-year retirement to the wild enthusiasm of many fans.
The Swiveltones surprisingly started their band back when they were only 14 years old. It started as many ideas in Idaho do—after a long day of skiing powder. And as not-so-many ideas begin; they were listening to Foghat on their Astraltunes (the first portable cassette headset player). The name, “Swiveltones” was a combination of Steve’s brother’s band “Bucky Hawker and the Nylon Swivel Rockers” and a band called “The Bad Tones.” Despite wanting to start a band, none of the friends actually had musical experience so they unwittingly selected to learn instruments that would go on to become life-long hobbies and careers. Drew was assigned guitar; Kelly, bass; Steve Morrell, drums (and by drums, they mean a make-shift set out of cardboard boxes since they didn’t have the money for real drums); and the rest is history. Guitarist Drew Kirk describes the sound they set out to make as, “Classic ‘60s combined with Seattle’s pre-grunge ‘80s power pop married to aggressive hollow body rockabilly licks and choir-boy four-part harmonies [the members were all in choir growing up].”
By the ripe young age of 16, the misfit group was playing the local Idaho bar circuit. But as so many bands do, they started to scatter; mostly due to college and career beginnings. Drummer Steve went to play with Disney World’s All American Jazz Band and had to be replaced with Brian (Steve still plays keyboards with the band but currently writes music for the Muppets!). Having agreed to only play music until they had “real jobs,” The Swiveltones played their last gig in the summer of ’87 at Ketchum’s Slavey’s (what later became The Roosevelt).
Or so they thought. After not playing together for more than 20 years, long-time friends and band HiTops in Boise asked The Swiveltones to play at the Visual Art Collective for Labor Day 2014. They played to a sold-out crowd with lines down the street for two days straight. It seemed that, despite everything, the band really still had the same great vibe that had originally connected them in their youth. Since that first reunion show, The Swiveltones have continued playing together, most recently at a gig at Whiskey Jacques for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.
These days the members of the band have all grown up and have the “real jobs” they hoped to achieve, yet the draw of music is something they can’t ignore. After all, some of the best and craziest things happen when you’re in a band. Like the time they were playing Forester’s Club in McCall during the “4th of July riots” when a woman was shot in the thigh by a drunk logger with a .22 pistol and the band had to stop playing and bolt out the back stage door. These are not the kind of experiences you can recreate with just any group. What’s next for these guys? Three of The Swiveltones members have music degrees and between the six of them, decades of music and playing experience. Says Drew, “The older we get, the better our sound becomes. The next chapter? Wait for it.”
From guitarist Drew Kirk:
Favorite drink?
Beer and tequila [hopefully not together!]
Favorite album?
Kiss, “Alive II”
Go-to “feel good” song?
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”—best song ever written.
If you had a rider, what 3 things would be on it?
Skittles, fast well-tuned skis,
and a note from my Mom telling me how awesome I am. –Steve Smart
