Swans’ Michael Gira provides his recipe for ‘Uncle Mike’s Hobo Chili’
In his time, Swans leader Michael Gira has established himself as one of the most uncompromising musicians out there. He’s taken his band on a fascinating odyssey that started in the depths of New York’s underground in the early 1980s before they gradually entered a different space, a much more transcendental one that sees them play auditoriums worldwide to large crowds of musos. Accordingly, each release is met with great excitement due to the gravity of their ongoing creative metamorphosis and the profundity of the sonics it produces.
A master to no one but himself, Gira’s visceral musical style is supported by an onstage temperament that can be both confrontational and the source of wonder, as much like with his music, it’s impossible to foresee what step he’ll take next. Yet, as he’s proven on numerous occasions in interviews, there’s a more complex figure behind the stage presence and reputation than what meets the eye, an unsurprising reality given the kaleidoscopic nature of Swans’ sounds.
A source of wisdom, Gira has provided takes on a wide range of topics in his time. These include whether he considers Swans to be a no wave band and if the late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis even influenced them at all, despite what people say.
His most interesting recent revelation comes straight out of the left field. When speaking to Dangerous Minds in June 2023 about Swans’ latest album, The Beggar, Gira was informed that singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart had claimed that he taught him how to cook. Accordingly, the interviewer asked the Swans leader to provide them with one of his recipes.
Gira responded: “Ha ha! It’s actually the only thing I know how to cook, and I learned it by necessity at a time of my life when I had almost zero money because, done correctly, it’s incredibly inexpensive, and you can live on it, and it fills you up.” The Swans leader then provided his recipe for the dish he calls ‘Uncle Mike’s Hobo Chili’.
He said: “Here goes: Pour a large amount of olive oil in a pot. Sauté way too much garlic, chopped up in peanut-sized chunks. As the garlic softens, add chopped onions. After a bit, add chopped carrots. More olive oil as it depletes. Add in chopped (and de-seeded) red and yellow peppers. Add in a can of corn in water (don’t use the water). Add in chopped yellow squash. Add a chopped apple for a bit of sweetness. Cook that whole mess down while stirring constantly. Add more olive oil if necessary. Once it’s cooked down, add chopped tomatoes, both canned and fresh. Cook that down.”
Gira continued: “Now add canned dark red kidney beans and black beans, both pre-rinsed thoroughly. There should be a much greater ratio of beans to the above ingredients. Add water until it’s just barely over the top of the beans. Bring to a boil, then back off the heat so it just bubbles sporadically. Cook til the water recedes, then add more, then repeat. Add hot peppers to taste. Cook some more. Make rice separately, and pour the mess over the rice. If you feel the need, steam some broccoli to eat on the side. That’s it!”
Listen to The Beggar below.
