Swan Sovereign is a Portland, Oregon trio with punchy, defiant pop songs and harmonies so buttery that you’ll forget to be offended by the bossy lyrics. Stephanie Schneiderman (drums) Lara Michell (guitar) and Christine McKinley (bass) are a tight, spare unit with compact songs that burst from dead quiet into tantrums and back down.

The three were in Dirty Martini together for years before forming Swan Sovereign in 2013. The music of Dirty Martini was gloomy, introspective, and rain-soaked, like April in Portland. The Swan Sovereign sound is more like a dance party on a sunny day in Antarctica – bright and blinding, with snowballs flying and a bit of blood on the ice from playing too rough.

Stephanie, Lara, and McKinley trade off, taking the lead in songs that deliver the stinging truth about interrogation, family secrets, and organized rebellion.