Experimenting with music creation has brought us from rock bottom to where we are now. SWERVE has spent the last 5 years focusing on self-taught music production and DJ’ing, releasing tracks both independently and with record labels, whilst JD started writing poetry whilst at University which opened him up to using his use of the spoken word to rap as a skill. Whilst this was very challenging it was equally rewarding and ultimately the saviour for us both. Whereas we could have followed the stereotypical way of working and routine lifestyle, we developed our new identities as SWERVE & JD. We discovered the art of creating music through our own experiences and experimentation. We have realised that we also have a desire and drive to share this with others, in particular future generations (even if we are only 25\26 ourselves!) and in particular within our locality. We live in an area that is geographically limiting in the provision of opportunities to create and perform music. Our shared experiences and knowledge has already proved to be exciting and uplifting for our participants whilst opening them up to a whole world of possibility. Since embarking on our musical journey, we have now achieved 18 tracks that we have independently released, including 2 that have been recognised as BBC’s 'Track Of The Week' and AIM’s 'Local Hero award', a nationally accredited awards company.

We are very passionate and aim to provide the young people of Barrow-In-Furness with the opportunity to make the same change and difference to their own lives. We have experienced, first-hand, the struggles for the people in the town. Exposure to drugs, alcohol and violence at such an impressionable age is statistically a one-way route to self-destruction. Every young person deserves a chance at life and we, SWERVE & JD are crying out to pass the baton of new life to the young people of Barrow.