Today we’d like to introduce you to The Normas (Logan) Swaim.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started a solo music project in my college dorm in the fall of 2019. I was reading up on the history of my favorite indie bands and decided that it couldn’t be that difficult to learn how to record and produce music. With my limited producing skills, I used a minimal recording setup to record the band’s first single, “Little Doggies Hair” which was influenced by folk and the Orange County indie music scene. After the releasing the first single, other songs slowly came in and out of production until the Pandemic hit in 2020. During the Pandemic, I was uninspired and gave up on the solo project. I would write but never deem it good enough to put out. Finally, in the spring of 2021, I was forced to write music for a college video course. I wrote our song “Spinning Dishes” and shot a music video for the assignment. Little did I know that would become a favorite for our live shows. This burst of creative energy revived the project and the hiatus was over. My roommate and longtime friend Josh Mellman joined the project, and it turned into our first full band in October 2021 when we played our first DIY show with drummer Trenton Golden.
After that show, it felt real. It seemed like becoming an actual indie band was attainable. From that first show, we played the DIY circuit consistently until May. We drove as far as Athens and Opelika, Alabama to get our band out there. During this time we were pushing our first compilation CD of singles “All Fer You” and writing the music for our debut album “Sweet Nothings”. As this string of shows came to a close, our lineup was rounded out with Charles Glausier on bass and Lars Smallwood on guitar. We went into the studio Spring 2022 to record “Sweet Nothings” and released it during July while we were on show hiatus. Fortunately, our first show back was August 17th at The Masquerade. It seemed like a dream. We got an email the week before the gig reaching out for us to be a local opener. We rushed to get everything in place to play, but our drummer was in New England managing a tour for a circus group. Everything aligned by the day of the gig. I picked him up from the airport an hour before loading in and the gig was something I didn’t I’d experience in this lifetime. We are incredibly thankful for Yellow Ostrich and the opportunity.
We were back into the DIY circuit after that show. We’ve been weekend rockers for the past couple of months and are looking to book shows everywhere and anywhere in Atlanta and the South East. We just brought our swampy mix of surf and disco to Daze of Thrill Festival in Rome, Georgia and look forward to playing the first Aubfest in Auburn, Alabama in November.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road. Challenges we often faced were due to the lack of venues in our area and health problems. It is not always easy staying healthy while playing shows every weekend, but it is a calculated risk in our post covid world. That being said, it’s important to test yourself and make sure you are healthy before playing shows.
Another struggle was finding solid members and scheduling a band without a manager. Thankfully most of our members just fell into the band by happenstance, but booking a band without representation can be a little bit difficult. We are hoping to submit to an indie label soon, but it is nice having control over our own work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am one of the main songwriters, frontman, and current manager for The Normas. On the weekdays I’m a college student and bartender.
As a team, we combine 60s pop, western, and disco influences to create a swampy garage sound. Our live shows are high energy and loose.
What sets us apart from other acts is the area that we’ve had to grow in. It’s been a unique experience because it is not as saturated as the heart of Atlanta, but with limited venue availability, it definitely feels a little more claustrophobic. I am proud that we’ve been able to grow and play alongside our favorite local bands. We look forward to playing with them throughout different areas of the South East.
We are playing Smith’s Olde Bar on 12/29 with Corduroy Beach and The Review.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In 5 to 10 years, I want us to be on tour. I would like to be playing in medium-sized venues and clubs with bands that we enjoy being around. I would hope that we would be signed, but it is possible to do this on our own as a true indie experience. That does not happen often in the industry, so I do not expect that haha. The big shift would be getting signed by a label that encourages our creative control while being able to play shows across the states.
Pricing:
- “Sweet Nothings” CD – $15
- Normas Tee – $20
Contact Info:
- Website: thenormas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theenormas/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfszm-qlOsplnQleziy7MGg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/thenormas
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/26cVJooI7dfEkPIAwH8hVU
Image Credits
Alex Mauricio Avalos Vazquez Grayson Turner