Talking Books with Rockers: The Swear

I love music and literature with an equal passion. That’s why I value blogs like Largehearted Boy and BabyGotBooks, blogs that do more than approach both-they acknowledge and work within where the two intersect.

(Disclosure: I also write for BabyGotBooks. I am only saying this to keep the Feds from coming after me with their blogger-bashing sticks. Truncheons? Whatever.)

The Swear has long been one of my favorite Atlanta bands, and by far one with an incredible, dark literary underpinning.  The very first time I ever met front-woman and songwriter Elizabeth Elkins, our talk quickly turned to two things: literature and Tori Amos. So, when The Swear came to NY recently to play a show in Brooklyn at Matchless (the show that, unfortunately, Tealights’ van problems prohibited them from making), I sat down with Elizabeth Elkins at Word in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (my favorite bookstore) to talk books and songwriting.

And then I thought we were done. But, in true hard-core rocker fashion, Elizabeth knocked a bookshelf over and demanded to have the final say.

Thanks to Word Brooklyn and Kristina Weise for help.