Pre-pandemic, Astral Swans was on the road more often than not, touring frequently to Europe and Japan, where many of the tracks that ended up on his newest self-titled LP were conceived. Composed on solo walks around unexplored cities, the agrestal collection of songs brings to life an internal world—the world of a wanderer, a dreamer, and a musician whose oeuvre is fuelled by a love of art, collaboration, and getting high. 

While Swann typically comes up with melodies and lyrical content under solitary conditions, he privileges collaboration as “one of the most joyous aspects of creativity.” He believes that making art is an invaluable gift, an act of resistance against the notion that fame and fortune are the only indicators of achievement and success. “Being a working artist is a really beautiful and meaningful life,” he says. “The commodification of art under capitalism makes for bad art, and strips it of its power.” The latest self-titled release from Astral Swans boasts a confidence and musical optimism unlike his previous albums, evidence that whatever subcultural kool-aid he’s drinking seems to be working.

RANGE is excited to premiere Astral Swans’ new music video for “Blackhole Town,” animated by Jordan Minkoff (Slam Dunk). The video features Astral Swans as a tiny toy car, chugging along endlessly on a track through a prairie landscape. We spoke to Swann ahead of its release about black holes, psychedelics, and living down the street from the original singer from Can.

You’ve described your songwriting practice as receiving “ecstatic downloads from the cosmos” while walking alone. Do you remember where you were when “Blackhole Town” came to you?

I was in a car on the way to Canmore to see Kacey & Clayton. I had smoked some hash, and was thinking about country music. I was not driving, lol. “Ecstatic downloads from the cosmos” … What a pretentious dick I am.

I’ve read that when matter gets pulled into a blackhole it gets “spagghettified”—stretched out into long noodle-like strands as it moves towards the event horizon, then frozen in space and time. Does this resonate with how you feel about a “blackhole town”?

Yeah somewhat actually, and props for the trippy question. I appreciate the notion that an individual within a black hole perceives time differently than an observer viewing the individual from outside the black hole’s gravitational field. Similarly, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking that your hometown is the only reality. 

What was it like to find your way as a musician in a city like Calgary? 

I’ve always found the music scene here to be close knit and supportive. I see that to this day as it grows and diversifies. It was more just dealing with the general conservative mindset of Alberta in general, like if you don’t get rich and famous doing it, you’re a failure, or it’s just a hobby. The 1 percent exists just as much in this industry as any; either you’re Drake or Maroon 5, or you’re a kind of financially struggling Astral Swans type lol. The whole concept of ‘making it’ in a competitive sense feels like everything I grew up wanting to get away from, and one of the main reasons I chose to pursue the arts to begin with. 

When did you start writing songs, and when did you know you wanted to become a musician?

The first song I remember writing was in grade two in my bedroom. I was obsessed with top 40 radio and I just sort of pieced together words that sounded like lyrics, even though they made no sense. I remember some of it and it’s hilarious:

“Like a scarecrow in the garden
or a puppet at night,
Or even a plane on it’s first flight,
the one thing i know and it’s alright
I wanna Rock” 

Puppet at night. Hahaha.