Taking their name from the classic British murder ballad Polly Vaughn, Steve Koch and Colleen Hodgson formed He Mistook Her For A Swan in 2018. They released  their first album of 7 acoustic songs inspired by artists such as Anne Briggs and Jackson C Frank in 2020 as the plague was sweeping the world.   The songs were recorded in a spare and direct style in a local practice studio by John Borra and mastered by the Grammy award winning producer Peter J Moore. 

In 2024 the Swans released 10 more songs on their full length album Lady Isobel. Reinventing some of the traditional 'Child Ballads' as well as songs by more modern folk legends, this is a collection of stories.   The sound spans genres from traditional acoustic folk to garage-folk but melds lifetimes of experience with every type of music into a beautiful whole.   With the help of some truly talented friends Lady Isobel emerged into the world, having bested the evil Elf Knight once and for all.

In 2025, the Swans released their latest single "Wedding Dress", a haunting traditional song performed on acoustic guitar and harmonium telling a compelling tale of a woman quietly rebelling against her fate.