I never could read Foucault. I find philosophy tedious. All of my knowledge comes from reading novels and some history. I read Being and Nothingness and realized that I remembered absolutely nothing when I finished it. I used to go to the library every day and read every day for eight hours. Iโd dropped out of high school and had to teach myself. I read Sartre without any background. I just forced myself and I learned nothing.
Michael GiraI wanted to challenge myself and move into something new. I felt that using the name Swans and the sonic attitude that that engenders was what I needed to move forward musically, and it's led to lots of new things.
Michael GiraI don't throw my body down on the stage at all anymore because I'm sure I'd snap like a twig.
Michael GiraI like loud electric guitars because I like how you can just lose your entire being in the sound. But I can't find myself in a situation where our band Swans is doing typical chord progressions - it just seems clichรฉ to me. Even changing chords sounds like a clichรฉ sometimes, though it happens occasionally in our music. But you find ways to push yourself into the sound through repetition. It doesn't stay the same. It morphs constantly.
Michael Gira