Parents Help Push The Swellers to Success

Fenton natives Nick and Jonathan Diener did not have conventional post-high school graduation plans.

Nick graduated from Linden in 2005 and Jonathan from Fenton in 2006, and they had their sights set on making their punk rock band, The Swellers, a career. It may not be many parents' dream to have their children pursue rock stardom, but Nick said their parents knew he and his brother had great opportunities and should take advantage of them while they were young. 

Thanks in part to that support, the Dieners, along with the band, have been able to pursue their dreams and released their fifth album, Good For Me, on Tuesday.

"We have always wanted to make our parents proud. They bought us our first instruments and gave us the motivation to play," said Nick Diener, vocalist and guitarist for the band.

The Swellers began playing shows at nearby venues, such as the Flint Local 432, in 2002. It did not take long for the band to make an impression on the local music scene and with other bands. Jason Kotarski was a member of the band South Bay Bessie when The Swellers began playing shows, and he remembers them standing out from the beginning.

“Even when they were 14, they were blowing the rest of us scene kids away. They just keep getting better and working harder,” Kotarski said. 

Support from the start

Fast-forward to 2011, and you will find The Swellers touring the United States and Europe up to nine months out of the year. They released Good For Me on the Fueled by Ramen record label. The label has worked with bands including Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Phantom Planet and Gym Class Heroes. 

Dana Brown, a longtime friend of the Deiners, has known the band from its start and remembers the Diener parents “questioning us like a drill sergeant” before she was allowed to hang out in their basement, where the band practiced from 2002 until 2009.

“They always made sure their boys were in good company and supported them through thick and thin over all of these years," Brown said.

Jeff and Lydia Diener noticed the boys' love for music when they were young.

"We bought Jon a drum set and Nick a guitar and had them take lessons," Lydia said. "We wanted to give them the opportunity to do what they really loved, because no one gave us that opportunity. They can always go back to school, and we will support them in whatever they want to do."

The Diener parents still follow the band closely, and only geographical distance has kept them from being more involved.

“My parents now live near Huntsville, AL, which is pretty far from anywhere we usually play,” said Nick Diener. “If they had the chance, they'd definitely come to every show they could, and they're very active and interested in the band's happenings.”

"We didn't miss a show until we moved away," Lydia Diener said.

Hard work and talent

The band has been through some member changes since 2002 and currently comprises Nick Diener (lead vocals, guitar), Jonathan Diener (backing vocals, drums), Ryan Collins (guitar) and Anto Boros (bass, backing vocals).  

Hard work and talent have led The Swellers down a successful musical path. 

The band has performed as the opening act for Paramore, Less Than Jake and Motion City Soundtrack. In 2010, The Swellers traveled to Europe, where they opened for other bands and headlined their own tour. Also in 2010, the band played Van’s Warped Tour, a large touring festival that features music and extreme sports. 

"Most of the time on tour is spent driving," Nick Diener said. "I drive our van quite a bit, so I just listen to music and zone out."

The release of Good For Me will be celebrated with shows Saturday and Sunday at Pike Room in Pontiac. The first 300 CDs will be sold for $5. The album will also be available at Best Buy and Hot Topic stores and at theswellers.com. 

"We said let's make a record with no filler and all timeless songs that we'll enjoy playing 10 or 20 years from now," Nick Diener said.

To listen to the new album, visit the band's Facebook page. Be sure to check out our .