About Swearing At Motorists

Swearing at Motorists is a two-piece rock and roll band comprised of Dave Doughman (guitar, vocals) and Joseph Siwinski (drums). They formed in Dayton, Ohio in the late 1990s. Joseph Siwinski replaced Don Thrasher (formerly of Guided by Voices), who had originally been on drums. Heavily influenced by other lo-fi music, Swearing at Motorists' songs are characterized by emphatic, crunching tonic chords, emotive vocals, and raw recordings, though with more emphasis on production than many lo-fi acts. Lyrically, Doughman blends narratives of seemingly mundane everyday occurrences with occasional elements of surrealism or subtle commentary, such as in Calgon Take Me Away. Perhaps the best known Swearing at Motorists song, Flying Pizza, named after a Dayton pizzeria, details an unpleasant encounter with an old acquaintance. Swearing at Motorists' concerts are characterized by Doughman's energetic performances, which involve antics such as tearing the strings out of his guitar mid-song and jumping offstage, as well as comedic anecdotes relayed between, and sometimes within, songs. The band has toured the United States and Europe several times. Almost all of their records have been released by Bloomington, Indiana label, Secretly Canadian.