Jon Swerens » Music and lyrics

> More about the Joplin benefit concert

Jon Swerens — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 21:56:55 +0000

Go to the Joplin benefit concert page to get all the details of the June 30 event.Possibly related posts:

Concert in Pierceton

Jon Swerens — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:21:21 +0000

Hey there! Long time no see. But I wanted everyone to know that I’ll be at the Blue Lion Coffee House in Pierceton, Ind., on Saturday, March 20.

I don’t know what time I’ll be performing yet, but once I get the details nailed down, I’ll post ‘em!

Update: I’ll start at 8 p.m. and play for maybe an hour. Hope to see you there!Possibly related posts:

“Christmastime Is Here”

Jon Swerens — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:33:27 +0000

Go over to Hannah Bushong’s MySpace page to hear a ni-i-ice version of “Christmastime Is Here” with Hannah on vocals, myself on piano and Tim Bushong, the showoff, playing every other instrument you hear.

Very well done arrangement!Possibly related posts:

Preorder “Daylight” (and more!)

Jon Swerens — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0000

If you’re here after seeing my concert at Buck Lake Ranch: Welcome! Let me tell you what’s going on:

Download a couple of free songs on my Free! page.
Listen to some songs from my instrumental album, “Wordlessly,” on the store page. You can also find out how to purchase a CD or find it on iTunes.
Preorder my new album, “Daylight,” which will be released later this year, also on the store page.
Look for me on Twitter or on Facebook. Links are near the bottom of the sidebar.
And then be sure to sign up for updates, either by RSS or email. Look for the Get Automatic Updates headline at the top of the sidebar.

I hope to add more shows and more songs later this year. Thanks!Possibly related posts:

Concert in Angola July 25

Jon Swerens — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:02:35 +0000

Another concert in the Angola area! This time, I’ll be playing at Buck Lake Ranch on Saturday, July 25, at 7 p.m.

Be assured I’ll be there, even though you can’t find me on the Web site. I called. It’s a sure thing.

The concert is actually a ministry of Country Road Lighthouse Ministries, and yep, there I am on its Web site. Whew!

In any case, if you’re in the area, or can be, stop by. It seems to be free, although an offering will be taken.Possibly related posts:

Songs, lyrics from Angola concert

Jon Swerens — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:59:43 +0000

If you’re here looking for lyrics from the songs I sang at Angola UMC, below is the list with links to the lyrics:

Possibly related posts:

Preorder “Daylight” (and other news)

Jon Swerens — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:43:00 +0000

If you’re here after seeing my short concert in Angola: Welcome! Let me tell you what’s going on:

Download a couple of free songs on my Free! page.
Listen to some songs from my instrumental album, “Wordlessly,” on the store page. You can also find out how to purchase a CD or find it on iTunes.
Preorder my new album, “Daylight,” which will be released later this year, also on the store page.
Look for me on Twitter or on Facebook. Links are near the bottom of the sidebar.
And then be sure to sign up for updates, either by RSS or email. Look for the Get Automatic Updates headline at the top of the sidebar.

I hope to add more shows and more songs later this spring. Thanks!Possibly related posts:

Short concert Friday night

Jon Swerens — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:36:32 +0000

I didn’t post this earlier, because I think people who are going don’t read this site, and those who do read this site live too far away …

But I’ll be playing a slot at the Praisathon at the Angola (Indiana) UMC on Friday night. If you’re in that area, stop by and give a listen. Possibly related posts:

Setting an album’s “sonic boundaries”

Jon Swerens — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:52:27 +0000

Welp, it’s time to post an update on my next album, “Daylight,” which I began recording in earnest this week. I’ve already dropped one song, “Kiss the Word,” from the lineup, because it was by far the weakest of the bunch.

But most surprising has been two new songs that I began writing this week for the very purpose of filling what I could call “sonic gaps” on the album.

I’ve always felt the first two or three songs of an album should set “sonic boundaries.” In other words, those first couple of songs should somehow include enough of the variety that follows so that the listener can get a small clue as to the genre of the album.

My counter-example for good “sonic boundaries” is the otherwise excellent album “Drowning with Land in Sight” by one of my favorite bands to spring from the early ’80s: the 77s.

The first three songs on “Drowning” are Zeppelin-esque heavy rockers, and in my mind, they set you up for an entire album of Brit-guitar rock.

But then the fourth song takes a sonic left turn into a song heavily influenced by the Beach Boys, and it’s jarring to my ears. It’s a great song, but by this point in the album you don’t expect to go this far afield of what you’ve already heard.

So, for my own album, “Daylight,” I felt I needed a simple piano-vocal opener before getting to the next song, the fast-tempo-with-loud-drums “From Midnight to Daylight.” Thus, the bluesy “This Body of Death” was written for the album’s first slot. “Body of Death” plus “Midnight” pretty much sets up the listener for what kind of music will follow.

I also am writing a new song for the last slot, again a simple piano-vocal song called “When All Is Light.” It’s another song that falls within the album’s themes of light vs. darkness and life vs. death.

So then, here’s the new lineup for the album:

This Body of Death
From Midnight to Daylight
Relentless Love
Widow Moon
Sunflower
Hanging on His Word
The Sins of the World
Still Beautiful
In the Morning
Come to Me
His Mercy Endures Forever
When All Is Light

Thanks, and there will be more updates in a few days.Possibly related posts:

Time to begin recording ‘Daylight’

Jon Swerens — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:28:56 +0000

I’m taking a week off work to begin recording the piano parts for my upcoming album. After some thought and good advice from friends, I’m settling on the title of this album:

“Daylight”

Ah, simple and direct, and the idea of daylight is reflected in many of the 11 songs in consideration for the album.

The album will begin with these songs:

From Midnight to Daylight
Relentless Love
Widow Moon
Sunflower

Then I have a gaggle of songs to sort through in the middle:

Hanging on His Word
In the Morning
Kiss the Word
The Sins of the World
Still Beautiful

And then I’ll end with these two:

Come to Me
His Mercy Endures Forever

Noticeably absent is “River,” which is available as a “rough draft” download on my free songs page. But to me, that song feels like it wants to be on the next album, with more personal songs I’ve written.

So anyway, I’ll update as I can next week, but I’ll be understandably busy laying down tracks in GarageBand. Thanks!Possibly related posts: