We recently connected with Alan DeCecco and have shared our conversation below.

Alan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ve worked on a few different projects with my band Swansun, that are really special to me. We just recently finished recording our second LP “It’s Not Adding Up” and it has become such a meaningful project to me. I recently graduated from Rowan University and chose to make a record as my capstone project. The idea was a concept album that tells my story of almost failing math class and not graduating High School.

Musically it makes references to jazz, indie rock, math rock, prog and psych. We invited some of our friends to feature on the record and make some new additions to the band that debuted on this recording. I worked out the songs with one of our drummers Sidney Riley, an amazing gospel drummer that really only got into rock through meeting us. I really wanted to give him a piece that he could express himself on and he killed it.

We recorded this with our good friend Chris Doms, added another guitarist to the group, featured saxophone, beautiful harmonies and some really talented guest singers. In the end it came out to be a 10 song album packed to the brim with character and amazing moments that all add up to make a batch of truly unique songs.

Alan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a guitarist, singer and songwriter local to the South Jersey area. I’ve been playing guitar and writing songs for almost ten years now and have been in a number of musical projects with my main focus now being my psychedelic rock band Swansun. We make music that is inspired by the Beatles, Black Sabbath, the Grateful Dead, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and too many other artists to list. I often describe our music as singer songwriter interpreted by a psychedelic rock band, the is what I believe sets us apart from other music in our genre. I am trying to combine the songwriting, lyricism and relatability of folk with the musicality and playing of psych rock.

We released a live album in February of 2023 and our first studio album in October of that same year. Over the summer we will be releasing three singles leading up to our next album coming out in September. So far I am most proud of releasing our first record and recording this upcoming one. I am also very proud of the live act that my bandmates and I have been cultivating over the past couple of years. I am lucky to have really talented and hard working musicians in the band and we have had some really special shows. If you are interested in honest and unique music I would recommend checking us out on streaming or following us on instagram @swansun.band.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me the most rewarding part of being an artist is being able to take an idea and bring it into reality. I love recording and listening as the song grows into it’s final form. Being able to work with some of my best friends makes this process even more rewarding. I love working on a song with my band and trying out everyone’s different ideas. It’s a great way to discover musical ideas that otherwise may not have been found. To be in that mode of working on a song when everyone is feeling really free and just trying whatever pops into their mind, that is my favorite part of being an artist.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am on a mission to make the greatest album that I can make, one that represents all of my favorite lyrical and musical things. My mission is to make a record that captures the Swansun sound at its absolute best. I want to make whatever Swansun’s Abbey Road is going to be. I want to make an album that perfectly embodies who I am and what is important to me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @swansun.band

Image Credits

first phot is by Cass Jones
second photo is by Louis Martinez
third photo is by Wes Andrews
Art by Kenny Pettiford