Originally formed under the moniker Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin’ Utters in 1987, the band remained with the name until 1994. Comprised of singer and frontman Johnny “Peebucks” Bonnel, guitarist/accordionist Darius Koski, bassist Kevin Wickersham, and drummer Greg McEntee, the group moved from Santa Cruz to San Francisco soon after their formation and began recording material for the labels Side One, IFA Records, and New Red Archives.
Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin’ Utters’ debut release surfaced in 1992 as the full-length “Scared”, however it was the record’s follow-up, “The Streets of San Francisco”, that propelled the California-natives to punk-rock notoriety. Released in 1995 under the Swingin’ Utters moniker and produced by Lars Frederiksen, the album won the Best Debut Album Award at the Bay Area Music Awards. In both promotion and support of “The Streets of San Francisco”, the band were invited to tour as a part of the first annual Vans Warped Tour, as well as alongside Rancid on a national tour.
Following a move to Fat Wreck Chords, Swingin’ Utters’ third full-length album “A Juvenile Product of the Working Class” was released in 1996. Taking the name from the Elton John song ”Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”, the record proved another popular release, and paved the way for their subsequent album “Fiver Lessons Learned” in 1998. Following the release of their self-titled, fifth studio album in 2000, the band embarked on a national tour with The Damned and Dropkick Murphys, before heading to Europe with Rancid. A sixth album arrived in 2003 entitled “Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass, and Bones” before Swingin’ Utters took a six year break from recording and touring.
In their absence, fellow punk rock band compiled the tribute album “Untitled 21: A Juvenile Tribute to the Swingin’ Utters”, released by Red Scare Industries. In 2010 the band returned to issued the EP “Brand New Lungs”, followed in 2011 with the full-length “Here, Under Protest”. Released in early 2013, the group’s eighth studio album “Poorly Formed”, marked the arrival of bassist Miles Peck, and was supported by an Australian tour alongside Dropkick Murphys and Frank Turner.
Swingin’ Utters make working man’s punk anthems. Their blue collar hits that have been described as ‘Street Punk’ take influence from early British punk acts like The Sex Pistols and Stiff Little Fingers and still manage to get crowds fired up today. The group have steered themselves through the decades to get to where they are, and their sound is sharper, tighter and better as a result.
Nothing can match the energy of a good punk show and Swingin’ Utters bring it in bundles. Members of the band stumble round stage, colliding like atoms and releasing an infectious vibe. The tight rhythm section never drops a beat and propels the songs on with a relentless pace, matched by the fiery guitar work that gives the songs its meat. Singer Johnny "Peebucks" Bonnel leads the proceedings with his gruff voice and more than a hint of John Lydon’s snarling demeanor about him. Taking their influence from the greats, Swingin’ Utters can help but have a cracking up-tempo live show that will never fail to get crowds fired up.