Toshack Highway

Centered around Swervedriver's Adam Franklin, Toshack Highway was a collaboration resulting in lazy, atmospheric pop with ambient electronic flourishes. Resembling some of Franklin's duskier work with his main outfit, Toshack Highway was an outlet to delve further into his increasing love of electronic gadgets and film music-inspired ambience, much like Air without the prog crutch. Toshack Highway's self-titled debut saw release in 2000 through Flowershop, the label run by friend and God Machine/Sophia member Robin Proper-Shepard; U.S. distribution was provided by Catapult. Consisting of a couple of Swervedriver-rejected songs that had been kicking around in Franklin's head for decades, along with a slew of tracks with many influences (nods to Bowie and the Stranglers being the most prominent), Toshack Highway was aided by the help of Sophia drummer Jeff Towsin and studio rat Charlie Francis. In late 2001, Franklin reappeared with Every Day, Rock 'n' Roll Is Saving My Life, a four-track single that featured a re-worked version of a Swervedriver B-side. Toshack Highway's 2003 release was a split CD with shoegazer revivalists Sianspheric. Laid back, intimate and electronics-free, the five songs that make up Magnetic Morning are some of Franklin's best work yet.