Raised By Swans | id

Raised by Swans is the solo musical project and alter ego of Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eric Howden. Conceived of in 1998, the name Raised By Swans was inspired by a cathartic dream Howden had after leaving his previous band The Gandharvas, and relies on the use of a homonym (‘raise’: to rear; to elevate') to simultaneously convey a sense of both connection and freedom.

Howden composes his haunting, contemplative songs using a multi-track recorder, guitar, bass, drum machine, and keyboard, meticulously writing all parts for all instruments, as well as all the lyrics. This process contributes to his relatively slow recording and releasing pace.

Songs from both Raised By Swans' independently released full-length albums (Codes and Secret Longing, 2005) and No Ghostless Place, 2010) 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 his newest film Chloe (2010). The live version of the band also appears as itself in a scene in Chloe, which stars Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried and Liam Neeson. The band's appearance in the film has garnered them new fans all over the world. 

"The musical environment [he] creates is really soulful and there's a sense of emotional nourishment you get listening to the sound design of the pieces," said Egoyan in an interview on The Parallel Universe on CHRW radio. "I was completely overwhelmed with the songwriting and began thinking about using them in film from the moment I heard them." 

"Violet Light" from Codes and Secret Longing is 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. The song was included on the soundtrack CD for the film (Lakeshore Records) alongside such artists as Final Fantasy, The Golden Dogs, The Fembots, and Sloan.

Howden began writing songs for Raised By Swans' third full-length album in a farmhouse in North Iceland, in the winter of 2011. He is currently recording the album at the House of Miracles studio in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, in preparation for a September 2014 release.
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