The Black Swans

Biography
by Mark Deming
Playing dark but sadly beautiful folk-influenced indie rock, the Columbus, OH-based Black Swans are centered around the core trio of guitarist and singer Jerry DeCicca, violinist Noel Sayre, and bassist Canaan Faulkner, though many of their recordings and live shows have found them expanding their sound with an ever-changing variety of guest musicians. The group was formed in 1999, but its early progress was stalled when circumstances forced Sayre to relocate to West Virginia for several years, and while the group began writing material for its debut album in 2000, it wasn't until 2004 (two years after the band began recording) that Who Will Walk in the Darkness with You? was released by the Nashville-based independent label Delmore Recording Society. The Black Swans' next recording project was on a somewhat smaller scale -- a 7" vinyl EP called Sex Brain, which over the course of five songs focused on the war between the id and the superego. After earning critical acclaim for their first two records and sharing stages with the likes of Okkervil River, Damon & Naomi, Michael Hurley, Richard Buckner, Mark Eitzel, and the Schramms, the Black Swans released their second full-length album, Change!, in the fall of 2007. The CD edition was released by La Société Expéditionnaire, while the Black Swans created something special for the vinyl version of Change! -- each LP cover featured an original piece of hand-painted artwork created by students at the Arc North Workshop, a learning facility for the developmentally challenged in Columbus.