Switches: The MusicSnobbery.com Interview

Let's talk about a band who's made to live their professional careers on the road. U.K.'s Switches are pretty much seasoned veterans on the touring circuit at their home and in the U.S. They still have many more miles to travel as their debut album, Lay Down the Law, gets a proper U.S. release on Interscope this Tuesday.

Switches are also made to been seen live. They make big, crazy rock songs based on their love of 90s BritPop and 60s California rock.

Matty Bishop is the main guy in the four piece. He serves as lead singer and songwriter. Before I was sent to quarantine last month, I talked with Matty while he was in Cincinnati on The Bravery tour. I'd like to welcome him to this space ... finally.

So the story goes that you crazy guys got together in college?
Yes. Basically, I wanted to start a band and I didn't have many friends who thought the same thing. When I eventually found one, I networked around until we go the four of us.

Did you have a specific vision of the type of band you wanted to start?
I'm actually a confused type of guy, so it changed around. I just knew I wanted to be in a rock band and I wanted to be the main focus. I've been writing songs for a long time and I needed an avenue to perform them. I did want it to be a rock band -- beyond that I was open to suggestions.

Did some of those songs you wrote in college make it to your debut album?
I think the oldest song on the album is "Message from Yuz," which is just a party anthem to get people going. That we had written in 2004.

What were some of the early shows like in college? Did you have to play people's dorm rooms and in rec centers?
We did play the university cafe at one point. There was a time we played at somebody's backyard for their birthday. I remember that I got really drunk and started smashing things. I don't do that anymore because it's not cool.

That's true.
I think it sounds cool in college because you see The Who and there's Pete Townsend smashing things up. You quickly realize when you're on tour and you have a few guitars, that you can't do that anymore.

When did you start getting serious about the band?
When I finished university, I just didn't want to get a job, but I had to. After a few months, I got restless and quit. I would stay at home and make demos all day. I then sent the demos out to everyone, until one publisher picked it up. That was the end of 2004, so that's when I knew that I had to get serious about music.

You actually recorded this album in Los Angeles. It's strange because the U.K. is known for being a dreary place, but your music is not that way at all. So it makes sense you make it in a sunny environment.
You're right. It is a dreary place. I've always been a fan of the Beach Boys and Weezer, and they sound uplifting. So L.A. was the obvious choice, but Rob Schnaft works out of there so in the end, it was the only place to record it.

Working with a name producer is a big score on a first album, but I'm sure it can be intimidating.
I remember having a conversation with my girlfriend the night before I left for L.A. about how terrified I was. I was pretty freaked out. When we got there, Rob is just a relaxed guy. I ended up bullying him into doing things. I would say, "I want more harmony here" and he would go ahead and do it. He's great in that when I would do the vocals, he would ask, "What are you more comfortable with, doing it all at once or doing the choruses first?" He's just open to anything. I owe him a lot.

I like how the album starts out with "Drama Queen" which is a no-holds rock song. It makes such a big statement musically. When you made the song, did you envision it as sort of your statement song?
We knew "Drama Queen" would be on the album. When we finished, we knew it was a cool song and people reacted positively towards it.

Who's the drama queen in your life?
Me.

I was going to say...
I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. I make a big deal out of small things. The song is not about me, but about scenesters. It's my observation about people who are trying to be something that they are not.

"Lay Down the Down" is also another really fun song. It's your most mid-90s BritPop song. I can sense a little "Girls & Boys" in there.
[laughs] Yes, it's the most simplest track on the album and it's another one that we were all pleased with the final results. It's great song to play really loud. Admittedly, I had a little of that "Girls & Boys" thing in my head. Ours has more guitars in it and it's a more dirty rock-based song, while Blur is more new romantic, and synth-y.

My favorite song on the album is "Killer Karma"...
Really, why's that?

It's your most 60s-California sounding song. You mentioned that you're into the Beach Boys and I love Beach Boys as well. It's sounds like a modern British band coming to Los Angeles to make sunny, rock music.
I think you got it right. The demo sounded more like a campfire song. In the studio, the surroundings definitely influenced the song. It's a more chilled out song, and hopefully if we develop more of a fan base, we can play it live. We don't do that song when we are an opening act.

I can see that song being a closer before the encore.
I think so to. That's why it's at the end of the album.

Okay. Let's get something straight. This album was released last year in the U.K. as Heart Tuned to D.E.A.D. Now, it will be released here as Lay Down the Law with the same track listing, but different album art. Was there a fight with Interscope to try and keep the original album art or title?
No, it was the opposite. We were given the option to change it. I wasn't too thrilled with the original art work. We had a quick deadline so we didn't put much thought into it. This time we came up with something that's much better. It's based on a graphic novel called Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories.

The album title was a reference to a Super Furry Animals song called "Bass Tuned to D.E.A.D", which not many people in Britain picked up on. So if the British didn't pick up on it, the Americans are definitely not going to know it either. So I said, "Fuck It" and we named it after the most direct song on the album. Hopefully, we made the right decision.

The weird thing about releasing an album in the States a year later is that you might feel differently about it. Do you feel differently about it?
I still love it, but we've been playing the songs for about three years now. On the other hand, it's special to play the songs live to an audience who have never heard of it before. It gives the songs a new lease on life. I'll be honest with you, I'm ready to do back into the studio.

I always ask new British bands who come to America the first time about that -- playing songs for years and having to do it over again in the U.S. when you really want to make new music. Looking at your schedule, you're pretty much booked with all the summer music festivals.
It depends on how well received we are in the States. We had two months off around Christmas before this Bravery tour, so I had some time to write new songs. As soon as a window opens, we'll head back into the studio.

You get to play some big rooms with The Bravery. Do you like playing these large venues or do you prefer the small intimate clubs?
I like playing all sizes of room, but I love the big rooms. They are special because we've played small clubs for a long time and this album is made for large spaces. It's a big rock record. You like "Killer Karma" and that's a song which is perfect for a large audience.

You've toured with The Automatic, The Fratellis, Graham Coxon and my personal favorite, The Rakes, who are the coolest guys.
That was our first tour and they couldn't have been sweeter. They took us under their wing and made us feel welcome.

Have The Bravery taken you under their wing or have they made you carry their gear?
No, no, no. [laughs] They have been great to us on this tour.

Does that bass player still drink seven beers on stage during the show?
I heard about that, but he's switched to water now.

Lay Down the Law is out this Tuesday.