Raised By Swans

Raised By Swans is Canadian solo artist Eric Howden. A singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Raised By Swans’ haunting, contemplative music has been described as evoking “both mournful and triumphant emotions” (Exclaim!), drawn comparisons to Explosions in the Sky and Sigur Ros, and found its way into international film, including Academy Award and Palm d’Or nominated director Atom Egoyan’s Adoration (2009) and Chloe (2010).

Songs from Raised By Swans’ albums have not only drawn admiring words from media (reviews by Exclaim! and Rhombus magazines described No Ghostless Place as "13 moments of aural splendour...transcendent and angelic" and "starkly beautiful"; see here for more) but have made fans of some influential and well-respected filmmakers. Academy Award and Palm d’Or nominated director Atom Egoyan included three songs from Codes and Secret Longing in his film, Adoration (2009) and two songs from No Ghostless Place in the erotic thriller Chloe (2010). The then live version of the band also appears as itself in a scene in Chloe, which stars Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried and Liam Neeson.

Raised By Swans released his debut full-length album Codes and Secret Longing in 2005. Two songs from this “beautifully constructed – and decidedly dark” (Ottawa Sun) album were chosen by Canadian director Atom Egoyan for his 2009 film Adoration, and “Violet Light” was featured in novelist Douglas Coupland’s film Everything’s Gone Green (2007), voted Canadian Feature Film of the Year at the Vancouver International Film Festival. A fan-posted video of the song currently has over 350,000 views on Youtube.

In 2010, Raised By Swans released his second album, No Ghostless Place. The album received wide critical acclaim, with Scene Magazine (London) writing, “No Ghostless Place shimmers with emotion and fragile beauty”, and esteemed Toronto-based music magazine Exclaim! calling its track list “13 moments of aural splendour…creates contemplative fields that can raise any grief-stricken spirit”. Due largely to Atom Egoyan using two songs once again from the album, this time in his erotic thriller Chloe (2010), Raised By Swans’ international audience grew considerably.

“Sightings“, a digital-only track available exclusively via bandcamp, was recorded and released in 2012 to raise funds for the completion of Raised By Swans’ third full-length album.

This album was Öxnadalur, an album written in and inspired by Iceland, where Howden has spent many months over the past eight years. It is dedicated to Iceland’s most beloved poet, Jónas Hallgrímsson, and in keeping with its themes of solitude, nature and introversion, its launch was much quieter than his previous albums. Raised By Swans played shows throughout eastern Europe in 2015 and 2016 in support of Öxnadalur, as well as a solo show in Akureyri, North Iceland, shortly after its release.

Raised By Swans is currently recording his fourth album, which is due out in 2018. In late 2016, Howden released ‘trains we both missed /pale blue black holes’, a virtual 7-inch, on bandcamp, iTunes and a number of other digital retailers; both songs will appear on the upcoming album.

Known for performing live both solo and with a full band backing him up, Raised By Swans will be performing alone across Europe once again in November 2017, his second solo tour with UK-based Midas Fall.