PRE-ORDER: Swell Maps "The John Peel Sessions" LP

THIS IS A PRE-ORDER: We expect this to ship on or around AUGUST 21st, 2026. Any items ordered with this will be held until they can ship together. If you need other items faster please place a separate order for those items. 

Swell Maps - The John Peel Sessions (Black Vinyl) Following the sold-out Record Store Day edition, Swell Maps’ legendary John Peel Sessions returns newly remastered on black vinyl, officially available for the first time in over 40 years Noisy, chaotic, and defiantly experimental, Swell Maps may not have found commercial success in their time, but their impact on music is undeniable. An inspiration to bands such as R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Pavement and Nirvana, with Kurt Cobain famously being a fan and often seen sporting a Swell Maps T-Shirt. A democracy within the confines of punk’s anything is possible, members Biggles Books, Jowe Head and brothers Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks—helped shape the landscape of post- punk and DIY music. Now, for the first time in over 40 years, The John Peel Sessions brings together all three of their recordings for John Peel, a figure instrumental in championing their sound. Formed in the early ’70s and fully realised by 1976, Swell Maps embodied the DIY ethos, launching their own label and self-releasing the jagged, frenetic debut single “Read About Seymour” in 1977. Peel was an early supporter, playing their record as soon as it landed on his desk—a moment the band described as one of disbelief and elation. His regular airplay of their music helped solidify their cult status, and these sessions capture the raw energy, off-kilter melodies, and boundary-pushing creativity that defined them. The John Peel Sessions is a vital document of Swell Maps at their most unfiltered—three sessions of unpredictable, exhilarating noise.

Track list:

01    International Rescue (John Peel Session, 16/10/78)
02    Harmony in Your Bathroom (John Peel Session, 16/10/78)
03    Read About Seymour (John Peel Session, 16/10/78)
04    Another Song (John Peel Session, 16/10/78)
05    Full Moon / Blam!! / Full Moon (Reprise) [John Peel Session, 16/10/78]
06    Armadillo (John Peel Session, 15/5/79)
07    Vertical Slum / Forest Fire (John Peel Session, 15/5/79)
01    Midget Submarines (John Peel Session, 15/5/79)
02    Bandits (John Peel Session, 15/5/79)
03    Big Empty Field (John Peel Session, 18/3/80)
04    Bleep And Booster Come Round For Tea / Secret Island (John Peel Session, 18/3/80)
05    Let's Buy a Bridge (John Peel Session, 18/3/80)
06    Helicopter Spies / A Raincoat's Room (John Peel Session, 18/3/80)