Can't Swim

Getting a foot in the music industry is something many musicians spend years of their careers doing, all the while putting out music, playing shows, and trying to cultivate a following. For Can’t Swim, however, that journey wasn’t a lengthy one, as their seemingly natural transition into music was actually quite unorthodox. With no records, no EPs, no singles, and no tours, the band was signed to Pure Noise Records just a few months after their formation. Although this may seem intimidating, vocalist Chris LoPorto, guitarist Mike Sanchez, guitarist Danny Rico, bassist Greg McDevitt, and, eventually, drummer Andrea Morgan have taken the music industry by storm.

“Can’t Swim was something I was just doing as a joke. I never played guitar, or sang, or anything,” Chris admits. “I started goofing around on my laptop, tried to learn some chords, and threw a couple of songs together. Long story short, I got a record deal kinda by myself, and then I called up three of my best friends and asked them to join me in a band. It was all very fast and bizarre,” he continues.

Over the past few months, Can’t Swim have been praised for the introduction of drummer Andrea Morgan, although it wasn’t their goal to gain attention due to a lineup change. During the creation of Fail You Again, Danny, the drummer at the time, got very involved in the recording process, and, on top of recording all the songs, he had a lot to do with the guitar work. As the band prepared for tour, they realized that a good portion of the album contained three guitar parts and plenty of harmonies, and they came to the conclusion that the band needed a third guitarist. “From the back of the van, Danny, half-asleep, said, ‘I wanna be that guy,’” Chris discloses, “so then we needed a new drummer.”

Soon after, Chris ran into Andrea, a familiar face and someone who he had always thought was a talented drummer. Five minutes after bringing her in and having her play with the band, Chris recalls thinking, “This is a perfect fit. She completely gets our vibe.” Thus, Andrea became the fifth and final piece to Can’t Swim.

Including a female in a “male-dominated game” wasn’t something the band thought much about, but fans who took notice have been applauding the group and looking up to Andrea. While adding Andrea to the group for publicity wasn’t Can’t Swim’s intention, they hope that it can ultimately have a positive effect on the scene. “If seeing Andrea performing gives someone more initiative to start a band, then that’s probably the coolest thing that Can’t Swim would ever do. I think the possibility of that is amazing,” Chris exclaims. “It’s an incredible thing to do for girls— giving them that encouragement—and, if Andrea can do that, that would be awesome,” he adds.

“She’s one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met. She’s an incredible singer with an incredible sound, and she can do crazy stuff with the keyboard, so the fact that she’s a woman comes secondary. If a girl is holding herself back because she thinks this is a male-dominated game, I’d think that’s very silly, because they can clearly shred. I would love for people to pick up on that. I’m crossing my fingers,” he continues.

After a lineup change, live performances and new recordings are bound to sound at least a little bit different. Compared to the Death Deserves a Name EP, Fail You Again is a lot more heavy, raw, and aggressive. Still, this shift in sound wasn’t a conscious effort, as the band doesn’t “get too caught up in trying to write certain types of songs,” Chris explains. “We’re lucky enough to write one song we like, so we don’t really try to write slow-tempo songs just because we don’t have any, for example. When a riff or an idea comes to us, we follow it down that path.”

“I think we write songs rather than records, and we try to write the best song each and every time,” he continues. “The fact that ‘Quitting’ worked better as a ballad, a slower song, was just the way it came out. We just cater to whatever the song needs, and that one was a little bit slower and softer so we went with it. It wasn’t intentional.”

The new dynamic brought on by the new lineup translates to the stage as well, as everyone brings unique talents and perspectives into the mix. “Danny has a completely different perspective than Mike and I have on guitar; he’s able to do a lot with pedals and freaky sounds. On top of that, he’s a beautiful singer, and he’s added a lot of harmonies to our live performances,” Chris details. “Andrea too, she’s a very different drummer than Danny and I. She has a very aggressive sound, she can play double bass pedal, and she hits really hard,” he adds.

Although Chris believes they sound like the same group, he notes that there is definitely a fresh energy amongst them. With what could be potentially risky for a band resulted flawlessly with this group—rather than dividing or disagreeing, the sounds now come together even better than before.

The fact that everything worked out as well as it possibly could’ve has a lot to do with the members themselves, and how seamlessly they’re able to work together in order to pursue their dreams. “Honestly, I feel very privileged. I’ve been in tons of bands where, dynamically, it was really hard. It was like being married four ways... And being stuck in a car with your argumentative spouse is probably not the best idea. But we all get along famously. I think it comes from all of us really believing in this band and really enjoying it,” Chris finishes.