The following is a mix of music from the experimental post-punk band Swans spanning over 40 years. It is accompanied by a transcription of an interview with Michael Gira that took place in 2023 over zoom and was conducted by Jenny Nono. Gira is the founding member, guitarist, and singer of the illustrious Swans. In 2023 the band released their sixteenth studio album The Beggar. In the interview Gira talks about his tumultuous relationship with Los Angeles, his nomadic adolescent life, finding Zen Buddhism, and the past and present of Swans.