SWU.FM: inside Bristol’s newest radio station

“I’m only drinking because it’s Friday. Just give me five minutes to catch my breath.”

Tom Koast is the programming manager of SWU FM, and he and fellow SWU founder Ollie 303 have had a busy week.

Six months in the making, SWU FM launched on May 1. Now more than halfway through their initial month-long run they’ll be broadcasting a 24-hour schedule of underground music to Bristol until May 27. 

Tom takes me through a back door in the pub and into the SWU headquarters, where we stand and talk next to the purpose built studio. Through the glass, two MCs face away from us wearing headphones and dancing energetically. Tom says seeing people having a good time in the studio has been a highlight for him.

“Listening in and hearing people sound happy is great. They’re sharing music they’re into with an audience. You can hear it in people’s voices, they’re enjoying themselves.”

Tom is cut off as the studio door swings opens. The deafening drum & bass escapes into the corridor for a few seconds as one of the MCs steps out; a young guy with a shock of orange hair known as Trafic.

“Where’s the toilet?” he asks. Tom points him towards a door.

Trafic grins at us.

“45 minutes I’ve been dancing in there!” he exclaims, before dashing out of sight.

“That’s what I mean” says Tom. “I haven’t really seen anyone coming out of here, shoulders slumped, looking like they’re not enjoying themselves.”

The lineup, which includes Bristol big guns like Roni Size and Pinch, is comprised mainly of club DJs and producers from the local underground scene. The studio was hand built by Ollie’s brother Will.

 “Will is essentially one of the partners in the radio,” says Ollie, “but he doesn’t enjoy the fun parts of it. He comes in, works like a lunatic, says ‘we’re done right?’, then he goes off and works his other job.”

This hard working ethos runs through everyone at SWU.  Tom takes me into the back office and sits at a computer. He continues with his work as he introduces me to Kamar ‘K Stylz’ Graham.

K Stylz was there to help with the launch, but he was so impressed with the set-up that he ended up volunteering his time almost every day so far. I ask him how his time at SWU has been.

“Tiring. That’s one thing I’d say, it’s definitely tiring. But it’s good, Bristol needs it,” he says sitting in front of a laptop. “There’s so much talent in Bristol, but there’s no radio station to put out our own stuff to our own people.”

I ask him what he thinks the future of the station looks like.

“Strong. Strong. It just needs to keep on going and then it will just build and build and build. Next thing you know you’ll be seeing SWU festivals.”

Tom laughs at this.

“I ain’t saying nothing. I need to get through this month. But yeah, hopefully we can make it a more permanent thing because it’s been sick,” he says.

Although SWU will have to come off the air on the 27th due to licensing agreements, a lot of people are holding out that it will live on in some form. 

Ollie is hesitant to say that SWU will last longer than the month they’ve planned for. But he does make it clear that they spent a lot of time making sure that the foundations were solid enough for them to easily transition into something more permanent after May.

“We’ve done three quarters of the work to make it last, the next step comes down to how we apply ourselves,” says Ollie.

Hope for the station to continue extends beyond just the SWU team and their listeners.  People drop in and out of the office constantly, often just to hang out and meet people. They’ve created a hub for the tight knit music community.

“We’ve created a platform for it to grow and cross-pollinate. If you’re in this room, you’re here for the same reason as everyone else, whatever status you are, so you have to mingle” says Tom.

The first fortnight has thrown a number of hurdles at Tom and Ollie. From DoS attacks, to sleepless nights fueled by takeaway chicken. They both seem physically exhausted as a result. 

Ollie is wearing a t-shirt that says ‘just give up’. 

“There’s a strange irony to it” he says. “I don’t give up, and I probably should have learned to.”

“I’d say at least the first seven to nine days there wasn’t a day where I thought I wasn’t going to lose my mind” says Tom. 

I ask what has kept them going through the stress. Aside from caffeine and alcohol, there’s one moment in particular that has made it worth it for Ollie.

“The best moment was when me, Koast, Blazey and K Stylz got in the car and put on 87.7FM for the first time. We were driving down through Stoke’s Croft listening to the radio. That was amazing.”

Before I leave, I ask Tom what he has been working on as we’ve been chatting.

“I’m doing artwork for the social media,” he tells me.

“I only learnt how to use Photoshop on Saturday, and now I’m our designer,” he jokes. “If you want to learn life skills, start a radio station.”

“That sounds like an army advert doesn’t it?” Says Ollie.

“SWU soldier, be the best” says Tom.

SWU FM will continue to broadcast the best in underground music until the 27th of May on 87.7 FM and online.

Photos by Mitchell Jackson