Ohtis

Ohtis is an American folk and americana group from Normal, Illinois, led by singer Sam Swinson. The band forms around Swinson and schoolmate Adam Pressley, who start the project while both are high school sophomores. Nate Hahn later becomes an official third member. The group works with a changing cast of local backing musicians in its early years and begins by releasing small-batch CD-Rs and playing shows around town.

Early releases and activity

Ohtis forms near the turn of the millennium and spends much of the 2000s recording and touring on and off. Releases from this period include Saving the Planet and the free download If This Country Had a Heart, That's Where I Was Born. By the end of the decade, Pressley and Hahn move out of state, but the trio continues to exchange songs online. With Pressley in Detroit, Hahn in Chicago, and Swinson in Los Angeles, the band later begins developing demos and resumes touring in late 2016.

Curve of Earth

Curve of Earth appears in 2019 on Full Time Hobby as the band’s official debut album. The record combines homespun alternative country-rock with Swinson’s autobiographical writing, including lyrics drawn from his experiences with drug addiction and his upbringing in a religious cult. It is split between material recorded in a Nashville studio and songs captured by Swinson at different locations using a handheld recorder.