Although he logged time in several bands, Adam Franklin (born 1968 in Essex, England) is best known as the frontman/guitarist for Swervedriver, a seminal shoegaze group that wielded a raw, mystical rock-styled sound. Prior to Swervedriver's formation, Franklin paid tribute to the Stooges and Sonic Youth as part of the Oxford-based band Shake Appeal, which morphed into Swervedriver after several lineup changes. Swervedriver released four solid albums through the 1990s with little retooling of their signature sound. Upon the band's hiatus at the end of the decade, Franklin quickly regrouped with the slightly experimental and reserved project Toshack Highway, which issued a handful of recordings. He also pursued a solo career, releasing Bolts of Melody in 2007 under his own name and supporting it with an American tour. During the same year, Franklin launched the collaborative project Magnetic Morning (initially called the Setting Suns) with Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino. The duo issued several recordings, including the debut album A.M., but Franklin also made time for other projects, including a Swervedriver reunion tour in 2008 and the creation of his sophomore solo effort Spent Bullets in 2009. Franklin's next album, 2010's I Could Sleep for a Thousand Years, was released under the name Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody. After undertaking another tour with Swervedriver in 2011, Franklin & Bolts of Melody returned in 2013 with the soundtrack music-inspired album Black Horses. ~ Kenyon Hopkin, Rovi