Norman Westberg

Norman Westberg (born June 27, 1958) is an American guitarist best known for his work with Swans, joining the band for the recording of their 1983 debut album Filth and appearing on every album except the 1992 album Love of Life and the 1996 album Soundtracks for the Blind, though his playing is sampled throughout the latter record. Westberg became a full-time Swans member once again when Michael Gira reformed the group in 2010.

Career Norman Westberg was born in Detroit, United States. He moved to New York City in 1980. He has older sisters and a brother, who turned him on to music. Initially, Westberg was interested in playing drums, but "something about the guitar overshadowed that". Before joining Swans, Westberg started a band with a friend from a punk rock club, "Bookies", and was a member of Carnival Crash. In February 2019, Swans recorded a new album later released as Leaving Meaning. Westberg played on "a couple of songs", including "Hums". Westberg played guitar on "Ebbing" from 2023 Swans album The Beggar, and would return to full member status on the band's next album Birthing.

Solo and collaborations Westberg's guitar can be heard on many Swans side projects including The Body Haters and appeared on several solo albums by Jarboe. Westberg was for a short-time a member of The Heroine Sheiks with Shannon Selberg (ex-The Cows) as well as John Fell (ex-China Shop). Aside from the present incarnation of Swans he has been playing in the NYC bands NeVAh (with Vinnie Signorelli & Algis Kizys) and Five Dollar Priest (formerly Size Queens) (with Ron Ward of Speedball Baby & Bob Bert among others). Westberg also appeared (credited as Norman Westburg) in a short film The Right Side of My Brain (1985) directed by Richard Kern and starring Lydia Lunch. Plough is a four-track EP recorded from 2006 to 2009 and features Westberg coupling guitar with banjo and DX drum machine. Limited Edition of 75, a one fifteen-minute-long ambient piece, pressed onto a disc decorated with an MRI pattern taken from the CD with Westberg's MRI scan. Both CD-Rs are packaged in handmade sleeves: Plough with a signed inner and Limited Edition of 75 signed and numbered on the disk itself.

In February 2014 Westberg released a third limited edition solo CD entitled 13, which was then reissued through the ROOM40 record label on November 13, 2015.

In 2014, Their debut album, Across The Neighborhoods, was released in October 2017.

Personal life In 2006, Norman Westberg married Jennifer Tull Westberg. Jennifer is a jeweler, and created the rings for their wedding. They have a daughter, Wilhelmina Opal Westberg, born on November 11th, 2009.

Influences Asked about influences on his guitar playing in a 2019 interview, Westberg cited various 1970s "blues based" guitarists, namely Mick Ronson, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Hunter, Dick Wagner, J. Geils, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Ron Asheton and James Williamson; and subsequent early alternative rock guitarists Andy Gill, Rowland S. Howard, Stevie Shears, Keith Levene, Tom Verlaine, and Richard Lloyd.

Discography Solo

Swans

Year Title 1983 Filth 1984 Cop 1986 Greed 1986 Holy Money 1987 Children of God 1989 The Burning World 1991White Light from the Mouth of Infinity 1995 The Great Annihilator 2010 My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky 2012 The Seer 2014 To Be Kind 2016 The Glowing Man 2019 Leaving Meaning 2025 Birthing

The Heroine Sheiks

Year Title 2000 Rape on the Installment Plan 2002 Siamese Pipe

Other Year Title 1986 Dirtdish (Wiseblood) 1998 Delirium Tremens (Sulfur)