Rock bands often leave their history in recordings, live sets, and the people who remain through different stages. Silent Theory has followed that pattern since forming in Moscow, Idaho, in 2010. The group has released four studio albums, several EPs, and a steady run of singles during its career. Its songs have also gained radio play and large online audiences. Throughout that history, Mitch Swanger has remained a drummer and co-founder. He has also contributed to songwriting and studio work. Interviews with Swanger show that his role has involved more than performing completed material. He has brought musical ideas into the band’s writing process and remained part of its touring lineup.
Swanger’s interest in drums began at age two, when he sat with his father behind a drum kit. His interest became more serious at 12 after hearing Rush’s Moving Pictures. He later studied at the University of Idaho, where he earned a BS in Business and Marketing Education in 2008. He then completed an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership at Washington State University in 2014. In 2025, he completed an MBA at Eastern Washington University. Before and during his university career, he also worked in education and admissions. Washington State University records identify him as a director of admissions and student services for graduate and online programs.
Silent Theory grew out of work with Swanger and Nick Osborn, with other musicians joining during the band’s early formation. The group became active as Silent Theory in 2010, with Swanger on drums and his brothers Scott and George also involved. Osborn left in 2012, while Sean Walker briefly served as vocalist in 2013. Dakota Jerns joined in 2014. The changes did not end the group’s recording plans. Its first album, Black Tie Affair, appeared in 2011 through Turkey Vulture Records. After touring behind the record, the band left the label and continued independently. Swanger remained the group’s drummer through these changes.
The band’s second album, Delusions, arrived in 2016 and brought more attention to Swanger’s songwriting. He had written the music for “Watch Me Burn” before bringing the composition to the band. In a 2017 interview, he explained how the song developed from an older piano idea before Jerns helped complete the lyrics. The track became the second single from Delusions, following “Fragile Minds.” “Watch Me Burn” later reached No. 67 on the MediaBase Active Rock chart. “Fragile Minds” reached No. 97 on the same chart and No. 29 on the Under the Radar chart. The song’s video later passed 31 million views, according to the band’s current streaming profile.
Swanger continued writing and recording with the band on Hunt or Be Hunted, released in 2021. His listed writing credits include “Before the Storm,” “Tragic,” “Dig Down Deep,” “Ad Venari,” “The Price,” and “Am I Fixed Yet?” The Bandcamp credits for “Am I Fixed Yet?” identify Swanger as the music writer. “Before the Storm” also lists Swanger and Jerns as writers. The song addressed opioid addiction, a subject Swanger discussed in interviews about the band’s writing process. “Shaking Cages” reached No. 22 on the Billboard/BDS Active Rock chart and No. 6 on the Foundations chart. “The Price” also entered the Billboard/BDS Active Rock top 30.
The band also began releasing acoustic material alongside its main albums. Theoretically Speaking appeared in 2022, followed by For What It’s Worth in 2023 and Theoretically Speaking II in 2024. Theoretically Speaking III followed in 2025. The projects gave Silent Theory another way to revisit its catalog, while Swanger remained part of the performing lineup. In 2024, the band released Tell Us How It Ends through ONErpm. The album included “Emptiness in You,” “Made Me This Way,” “Wake Up Alone,” “Afterthought,” and “The Cracks.” That year also included a US run with A Skylit Drive and a performance at Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin.
Live work has remained a major part of Swanger’s career with Silent Theory. Silent Theory has performed in Rocklahoma, Rock Fest, and Inkcarceration events. The band’s headlining tour in 2024 was scheduled from October 16th to October 27th, during which they visited Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. The band also performed at the Inkcarceration event in July 2025 in Mansfield, Ohio. They have also been touring in 2026, including the Redemption Tour. On streaming, Silent Theory has gained hundreds of thousands of Spotify followers and hundreds of millions of combined streams and views monthly.
Mitch Swanger’s involvement with Silent Theory also continued in 2026, when he collaborated with Brandon Saller of Atreyu on a song titled “To the End.” It was released in May and then re-released with Saller in June. He is listed as one of the songwriters and performers on the song. Mitchell Swanger’s professional musical equipment brands include SJC Drums, 64 Audio, Attack Drumheads, Scorpion Percussion, SoulTone Cymbals, and Ovation Guitars. Scorpion Percussion identifies Swanger as a Signature Artist, and SoulTone also has an artist page with information about him and his cymbal setup. Through four studio albums, multiple EPs, singles, and years of tours, Mitchell Allen Swanger has been a performing member of Silent Theory.
