Swift Technique

Swift Technique, Philadelphia’s multi-faceted musical collective, is sprinting into its 13th year at full speed! The band’s unique hybrid blend of funk, soul, rock, hip-hop and relentless
showmanship has propelled the group into its most successful period to date. With potent,
dynamic horn lines, thunderous bass and drums, driving guitar and keys, and more dance moves than you can shake a booty at, Swift Tech’s live performances are unmatched in energy, musicianship and pure feel-good fun. And with a recent appearance on the award-winning Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, the group is commanding national attention.

Since forming in 2007, Swift Technique has steadily toured, performed and recorded all over the country. “Although the sound has evolved, and continues to change,” says Jake Leschinsky, the band’s founder and bassist, “there have been constants in terms of our approach and philosophy.” Swift Technique has always used funk as a platform for their other influences, and under that heading, the band has aimed to make its music accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

In their dozen years together, Swift Technique has shared stages with all varieties of world-class acts, including the Meters, Wu-Tang Clan, Snarky Puppy, Charles Bradley, DJ Questlove,
Soulive, Lettuce, Break Science, Fishbone, Vulfpeck, Cory Wong, the Disco Biscuits, Turkuaz,
the Motet, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, the Main Squeeze,
Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Kermit Ruffins, Deep Banana Blackout, Kung Fu, Orgone,
Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Sophistafunk. In the past year they’ve also debuted at multiple
major festivals including Camp Bisco, Disc Jam, Xponential Fest, Domefest, and Rock & Roll
Resort. They have successfully played at top-tier venues in some of the most musically rich cities in the country, including New York City, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Nashville, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and, of course, their hometown, Philadelphia.

“We’ve had four distinct eras,” says Leschinsky, looking back on the band’s run thus far. Swift
Collective started in 2007 as a live hip-hop band, then, after parting ways with their MC,
transitioned into an all-instrumental funk/rock/jazz band. In recent years, the band has worked extensively with two mainstay lead vocalists, Chelsea ViaCava and Nik Greeley, featured in music videos like those for their singles “Lucky Bump” and “Reason to Be.” They have evolved into a musical collective, built upon a rhythm section nucleus that has remained constant, actively featuring a wide range of vocalists and instrumentalists.

Swift Technique aims to follow in the footsteps of the great Philadelphian artists that came
before them. Assembling a band under the “Sound of Philadelphia” umbrella has been relatively easy for this talented, forward-thinking crew, and that sound continues to glue the band together. The band has always generated a lot of energy and people have reacted positively since the band’s earliest shows. Now, their mission is to generate that kind of energy in new ways.

The band’s ascent has been aided by supporters such as radio station WXPN, which inspired the band members through their youth and continues to open their eyes to new music. WXPN has highlighted Swift Technique’s past releases and the band is excited to share new music with them.

For Swift Technique, every show is the craziest basement party you’ve ever been to.
Representing Philadelphia in the funkiest way possible, Swift’s mission is to get the audience
grooving and grinning, filling listeners with the positive energy that the world so sorely needs.

With the hype around Swift Technique building at lightning speed, look for these gritty groove
masters to take large leaps forward!