Although he logged time in several bands,
Adam Franklin (born 1968 in Essex, England) is best known as the frontman/guitarist for
Swervedriver, a seminal shoegaze group that wielded a raw, mystical rock-styled sound. Prior to
Swervedriver's formation,
Franklin paid tribute to
the Stooges and
Sonic Youth as part of the Oxford-based band Shake Appeal, which morphed into
Swervedriver after several lineup changes.
Swervedriver released four solid albums through the 1990s with little retooling of their signature sound. Upon the band's hiatus at the end of the decade,
Franklin quickly regrouped with the slightly experimental and reserved project
Toshack Highway, which issued a handful of recordings. He also pursued a solo career, releasing
Bolts of Melody in 2007 under his own name and supporting it with an American tour. During the same year,
Franklin launched the collaborative project Magnetic Morning (initially called the Setting Suns) with
Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino. The duo issued several recordings, including the debut album A.M., but
Franklin also made time for other projects, including a
Swervedriver reunion tour in 2008 and the creation of his sophomore solo effort
Spent Bullets in 2009. Franklin's next album, 2010's I Could Sleep for a Thousand Years, was released under the name Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody. After undertaking another tour with
Swervedriver in 2011,
Franklin & Bolts of Melody returned in 2013 with the soundtrack music-inspired album Black Horses. ~ Kenyon Hopkin