The internet is a scary place, wouldn’t you say? Anything you post, like, or comment can be found and traced back to you, and that is what happened to Current Swell, a beloved Victoria born indie band, in the early 2000’s.

Emily MacDonald / Pexels

They sold out the very first show they played, way back before 2008, in a café downtown Vancouver. Local high school students found a short, 5-song EP Current Swell posted online and traced them to their first gig. The band hoped a few people would stay to watch and instead were met with hoards of highschoolers.

A bit of an interesting first day as a performing band, but they took that online success and let it propel them into Canadian music legends. Their cult following has always been online, and if you haven’t caught Current Swell in person, you have most definitely found them some place else. Their single, “Young and Able,” in 2009 became an internet hit through YouTube streaming. Out of all the artists featured in my articles, Current Swell is the first Canadian band to get their fame online, rather than focusing on touring and promotions.

I think they are a great example of how the internet influences the music industry today, as their following is international as a result of it. In terms of technicality, Current Swell leans into the ‘indie folk’ branch of the genre as opposed to the rock elements. My favourite song by Current Swell is Rollin’ off their 2014 album Ulysses and it is the one I think you’d like the best as well.

It is their best blend of folk and indie and in my opinion, Ulysses is their best record release. As for the single, Rollin’, not to be confused with the same title from Limp Bizkit, it is the third track of Ulysses, released early into the summer of 2014. What were you doing summer of 2014? I was 7, so listening to Current Swell was not high on my list of things to do, but for many this track became the song of the summer. Rollin’ moves fast, with a slow swinging chorus. The bassline in this song is addictive; it is so simple yet works so well to complement their signature sound.

Take a listen and let me know if you remember this song, was it the song of your summer all those years ago?