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Ahead of the release of magnificent new Swans album To Be Kind, Michael Gira speaks to John Doran about that LP's ferocious grooves, his role as band leader, Haitian history, the early days of the group, and his terror at the ever-increasing commercialisation of our society. Photography by Jennifer Church, Sebastien Sighell and Matias Coral
Michael Gira says that being in Swans used to be like "trudging up a sand hill wearing a hair shirt, being sprayed with battery acid, with a midget taunting you". In which case, why has he resurrected the project, asks Frances Morgan