Sword II

Formed in Atlanta, Sword II brings together Mari González, Certain Zuko and Travis Arnold in a trio that moves between indie rock, lo-fi power pop, dark synth-pop, post‑punk and noise textures. The band favors vocal harmonies and arrangements that can range from heavy saturation to more stripped‑down writing. Rooted in the city’s DIY scene, Sword II initially progressed through scattered tracks and sporadic releases in a fairly experimental mode, before tightening their focus around more direct, collective songs. Writing, singing, production and arrangements are shared, giving Sword II a highly integrated group dynamic without a fixed vocal hierarchy. Their music addresses themes of surveillance, precarity, work, queer desire, emotional bonds and forms of everyday resistance, in a context in Atlanta also shaped by mobilizations against Cop City. Between electric tension, pop melodies, discreet theatricality and DIY urgency, Sword II develops a frontal yet readable sound where rock energy remains tied to a concrete observation of social life.