Messed!Up
The SWMRS story begins in 2004, when Cole Becker and Joey Armstrong were inspired to form a band after watching the movie School of Rock; both were just nine years old at the time, but youthful inexperience wasn’t about to stop them. Armstrong had a bit more knowledge of how life in a rock band works than the average kid, since his father is Billie Joe Armstrong, leader of Green Day, but he opted to play drums rather than guitar, with Cole Becker playing guitar and handling lead vocals, and Cole’s brother Max Becker (the old man of the group at 11) filling out the original lineup on bass and vocals.
The trio was originally known as the Raining Souls; when they found that name was already in use, they switched to the Clocks, and after they learned that name was also taken, they decided on Emily’s Army in honor of Cole and Max’s cousin Emily, who was living with cystic fibrosis. After a few EPs and two albums as Emily’s Army, the band went through a change in line-up. With the new lineup, Emily’s Army went through some stylistic changes, and they became reluctant to play their older material. In 2014, they were booked to play some festival dates in England, but discovered their contract precluded them from playing shows of their own during their downtime. To get around the contract, they booked a short U.K. club tour under the name Swimmers, and made SWMRS their official new handle once they returned to America.
In 2015, SWMRS released a single, “Miley” b/w “Uncool,” and launched a short tour in the spring of that year, though Mueller was unable to make the dates (he was finishing exams at college), so Joey’s brother Jakob Armstrong took over on bass until Mueller was free of his academic obligations. In February 2016, SWMRS released their first album under their new name, Drive North; the album was produced by Zac Carper of the band FIDLAR, and was released through the band’s own Uncool Records label. After the album’s initial independent release, SWMRS landed a new record deal with noted punk label Fueled by Ramen, which had entered a partnership with Atlantic Records. Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic reissued Drive North in a new edition in October 2016; this version added two songs to the track list, “Palm Trees” and “Lose It.” Two years later, they issued the title track from their fourth full-length, Berkeley’s on Fire. Released in early 2019, the punchy set was produced by Rich Costy (Muse, Death Cab for Cutie). The politically charged and energetic album earned praise for its expanded style, helped to secure them wider touring opportunities, and awards within punk and alternative scenes.
After a two-year-long hiatus during the pandemic, SWMRS announced their return in October 2022 and clarified their stance on past controversies. At that point, Joey Armstrong and longtime bassist Seb Mueller had both left the band, with Cole and Max Becker committing to continue under the SWMRS name. Their third album, Sonic Tonic, under the SWMRS name, released in 2023, showcased the band’s renewed energy and songwriting with the updated lineup, and the band continued on this momentum with their fourth studio album, BECKER, a year later – again highlighting the Becker brothers’ creative direction.
In the spring of 2026, they return to Germany for three dates on their Becker Tour:
- 29 April at Blue Shell, Cologne
- 30 April at Betty, Hamburg
- 1 May at Badehaus, Berlin
