What if Jesus was a gay teen asking for acceptance from the world? That’s the scenario Swampboots presents on their single “Ecce Homo,” a ’90s-era garage-rock song full of extravagant allegory. The Brookyn-based quartet straddles the line between the early sounds of pop-punk legends Blink-182 and gritty lo-fi guitar riffs of Cloud Nothings, exploring themes of love, loss, and longing from a socially conscious perspective.
Inspired by the nuanced complexity of Jesus’s presence as both a spiritual leader and a man, Swampboots’ lead singer Dylan Schultz explains that “I tried to explore the tension between his (God) divine and human states too. Ultimately, he just wants to be loved, not as some spiritual abstraction.” Including the LGBTQIA+ perspective was important to the group to exemplify that Jesus can be represented from more than just one viewpoint. It provides a timely comparison, as we all are ultimately seeking love and acceptance from others.
Listen to “Ecce Homo” from Swampboots’ album Defeatism, and follow Swampboots on Spotify.
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