Swell Maps were an English experimental DIY, early punk and post-punk rock group from Birmingham, England active in various forms between 1972 and 1980.
[3] The band consisted of Solihull teenagers Epic Soundtracks (real name Kevin Paul Godfrey), his brother Nikki Sudden (real name Adrian Nicholas Godfrey), Jowe Head (Stephen Bird), Biggles Books (Richard Scaldwell), Phones Sportsman (David Barrington) and John "Golden" Cockrill.
Epic Soundtracks, who had played drums with the Red Krayola at the same time as Swell Maps were a going concern, joined Crime and the City Solution and also released solo material.
The line-up evolved until it settled on a unit involving Jowe and the following six musicians: Lee McFadden, Jeff Bloom, David Callahan, Lucie Rejchrtova, Luke Haines, and Chloe Herrington.
[10] Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth acknowledged the influence of the Swell Maps in 1981, writing "As soon as that Nikki Sudden guitar comes slicing slabbing and all out fuzzifying off that crackling vinyl groove you know you're gonna rock.
[16] In 2007 The Guardian wrote that A Trip to Marineville "combined furious punk noise-outs such as HS Art with ambient instrumentals and other experimental interludes such as Gunboats.