The wonderfully poppy sounds of
Swan Dive originate from Nashville: singer/songwriter and guitarist
Bill DeMain and vocalist
Molly Felder formed the group there in 1993. The duo, who have had three Top Ten singles in Japan and countless appearances on radio and television there and no mainstream success in ther home country, pay homage to the work of Burt Bacharach,
Simon & Garfunkel, and
the Beatles. DeMain, who was an editor at Performing Songwriter Magazine before his full-time musical gig, has worked with
Jill Sobule,
Marshall Crenshaw, and Yuko Yamaguchi.
Felder has also had her hand in working with other musicians, notably
Sixpence None the Richer and
Amy Grant. Following a few international releases during the late '90s, the band released its self-titled stateside debut album on Compass in mid-2000. The album compiled songs from the band's previous overseas releases, including the Japanese Top Ten singles "You're Beautiful," "Wintergreen," and "Circle." Swan Dive released its follow-up, June, in July 2002. ~ MacKenzie Wilson