INTERVIEW WITH SWITCHES

When I was a student, I hated deadlines. I hated deadlines because approximately 2 hours before would signify the exact moment that I would have to turn the computer on, and create, from scratch a 3000 word essay on some obscure topic of which I had done no reading whatsoever, and had only vague recollection of the lecture on that topic, (which had probably occurred the day after a heavy night of lunacy and alcohol consumption).

That feeling of complete and utter panic, mixed with the underlying chilled attitude that had led me to leaving my task until this late in the first place is the closest thing I have experienced to the madness of the final day of work on the first issue of Exeter List.

In the good old days of student, my reward for making the deadline was probably a bottle of wine with my flatmates, whilst watching a re run of the x factor, whilst eating a takeaway.

However nowadays, life is treating me with a little bit more generosity. Upon sending my finished magazine to the printers, I was treated to an interview with a real rock band, and tickets to see them play afterwards (how cool!).

The band I had the pleasure of meeting were ‘SWITCHES’. Consisting of lead singer, and songwriter Matt, Guitarist Ollie, bassist Max, and drummer Jimmy. We caught up with the band in the middle of their UK tour when they performed at the Exeter Phoenix on April 21st.

Having played previously at the Lemon Grove, supporting Graham Coxon, and the Rakes, the guys seemed very comfortable in the Exeter late afternoon sunshine relaxing with their guitars on the steps behind the venue. I met Matt and Ollie for a quick chat before things started picking up with the gig prep.

I did have a list of possible questions up my sleeve in case they weren’t the chatty types, but as it turned out, the pink plastic sunglasses that matt was hidden behind hid a very entertaining, interesting and inspirational chap and Guitarist Ollie was also a thoroughly lovely guy, who seemed to be enjoying his life and experiences as much as anyone I have ever had the pleasure of meeting…

( As I write this interview up I ought to explain that the minidisk recorder was only turned on half way through the interview….I gave my colleague only one job…….)

Whilst the recorder was off, I found out that the band have booked to play at a few festivals this year – V, Leeds and Reading, and although Matt has never like festivals, Ollie loves them. Matt finds himself bored with all the waiting around. I am sure there were other things, but as no audio evidence remains…)

H: How has the tour been going?
M & O: Its been great actually. We just played an amazing gig in Bath, the crowd was really great, and it was kind of the retaliation by us after playing London the night before. We were all really nervous for London, knowing how important it was, so Bath was our chance to really have some fun and go a bit nuts. It was pretty cool.

H: So are you pretty professional when you perform. Do you save the beers until after the show..?
M: Errr, I used to be really bad. I used to drink a lot before I played, and consequently the gigs would be a bit shambolic, but I’ve learnt to be a bit more professional now cos I don’t think any of my heroes were going in for that kind of stuff. I think you’ve got to look after your voice, and then afterwards you can go a bit mental.

For the London gig especially we made sure we were really sober, because it was really important….

O: and yesterday we had a TV performance for The Transmission Show on channel 4, with a live studio audience, so we were a bit more professional for that

M: yeah and then we relaxed and had a couple of drinks after which was cool.

H: Have you done a lot of TV then?
M: Not a lot. I mean we did the Album chart show back in January, and then Transmission last night. So that was only our second live TV performance, but we’re looking forward to doing more if we can get the opportunity to do it really. I think TV is a great medium

H: I agree. I think it’s a real shame Top of the Pops died you know. There are loads of people who don’t like to listen to the radio…
M: Yeah, I don’t listen to the radio at all and If you look at the top 20, I’ve not heard any of those songs, because I don’t listen to the radio, and the whole chart is governed by Radio 1 to be honest. I mean if you can get onto the radio 1 playlist, you are almost guaranteed a top 30 position. (In the background tour manager Ash jumps into the tour van, prompting Ollie to jump to the rescue of his guitars, which are sitting just behind the back wheels…no need though, Ash wasn’t moving the bus). I probably watch TV more than listen to the radio. I find it more interesting because you get visuals as well. But on tour we can’t watch TV anyway. In the tour bus we are stuck in the 70’s. All we listen to is Queen (a little later on we hitched a ride in the tour van, and true to his word, Matt delighted us with the not so contemporary sounds of some ancient bowie, ‘before he made it’…). On the way down today we had Joe Jackson, the cars and ELO, because we don’t want to listen to the ****ing radio. I don’t like the radio, maybe its because I cant stand the presenters…but…that’s not going to do us a lot of good is it! (they both have a good chortle at that). Maybe don’t print that…or do…I don’t care what they think.

(we then have a bit more chat about top of the pops and how it used to be a gateway into new music for Matt, and they chat about the transmission show, and matt does a particularly terrible impression of Lauren Lavern, )

H: so are you guys staying in nice hotels for this tour?
O: (deadpan) beautiful hotels
M: Travel lodge, Travel Inn. That’s pretty much where we are. Until we get to that million record mark, when we will stay in the Hilton or something.

H: But you get your own rooms though? No two in a bed budget option?
M:2 in a bed, (someone – I cant make out who) and Jim sometimes do a bit of a two in a bed don’t they?! But no we are really lucky to get hotels, though they might be basic, it keeps us happy. I know of bands who have to sleep in their vans, and that would drive us insane. We did that once, in Ireland actually. It was hell wasn’t it!
O: yeah it was hell

H: how did you wash?!
M: We had one room.
O: yeah one room between all the crew and the band, and so we took it in turns to sleep in the real bed, and then in the morning we would all cram in the room and take turns to shower and stuff.

H: Look like things are getting better then. You guys are on the way up anyways. I totally love the album.
O: Oh thank you!
M: (surprised)you’ve heard it?

H: totally. I’ve had it on all day. I have the whole thing stuck in my head. I think its really brilliant.
M: yeah we’re really pleased with it, you know. I think it stands out quite a lot. I don’t think there are any bands out there at the moment doing the same thing as us (described as musical magpies, switches draw influence from such a huge range of music, it would be pretty hard to even get close to their sound). I think music’s all gone a bit dancy at the moment.

H: I think the thing about the album that appeals to everyone is that it isn’t dark, it is really upbeat, and at the same time, its intelligent rock. Its not all about making the loudest din with an electric guitar, or hitting the drums the hardest, and I think what you have produced is an entire album of anthems.
M: Yeah, well with the first album we didn’t want to drag anyone down. We wanted to achieve exactly what you say, just classics. We always had on our minds to create like a blockbuster record, like thriller. I mean we wont know if they are classics maybe for another 20 years or so.
O: (laughing) but we like to think of them as classics

H: so where do you go from here?
M: well I’ve started on number 2 in terms of writing it. Its going to stil have a couple of anthems on it, but maybe a bit more reflective, thoughtful. Certainly not dark. I think we will release 3 or 4 more singles from this album, and with a b it of luck go over to Europe and tour some more. But we’ve got about 15 or 20 songs built up. ( a hovering insect joins the conversation…m: ooh I don’t like waspy things, flaps camply at said creature). Hopefully we will get to start recording the album at the start of next year.
O: we’ve got quite an armoury of ideas and tunes up our sleeves so it should be a really fun process. But you don’t need to worry, its not going to be one of those albums about hotel rooms, or the tour bus.
M: we’ve got quite good imagination so we write about things that we conjure up. I mean my life was pretty dull before the band, and I wrote a lot of stuff in my bedroom, and you’re hardly going to write about the four walls you know, so I just make stuff up. Its far more interesting.
O: its nice having character songs anyways.

H: thanks guys. Its been really great meeting you. Do you know what kind of crowd they are expecting tonight?
M: I don’t really know, but that place looks huge, We are used to playing really small clubs, but that place looks like a school hall or something. I don’t know how we will fill it out

H: and there aren’t many students about this week…
O: oh no where are they? (explain that it is Easter break)
M: oh swell! A great booking by our agent there (Ollie laughs)
M: well if the audience is a bit think on the ground, we’ll just have to bash each other up a bit on stage or something. (laughs)

H: please will you sign my CD please (ever the geek).

(my colleague then promptly turns the recorder off…..shame her skills weren’t quite as prompt at the beginning of the interview when her job was to turn it on….)

It was only at this point that Max the bass player appeared from nowhere to sign his name on the CD cover.

A few hours later, after a bit of time killing, switches were on stage, and feeling truly superior, as friend to the stars, I watched on, trying to remain professionally detached from the performance so I could pass unbiased opinion. However – THEY ROCKED! They were tighter than a fat mans speedos, had the stage presence that will see them compared to the likes of Freddie Mercury, and played the crowd perfectly. All in all they looked like they were having the time of their lives.

Having met the guys, watched them play live, and later had a ride in their tour van, to watch them then perform acoustically in a tiny kitchen in some strangers house – These boys were born to do this. Since the age of 4, matt has been playing with recording songs, and writing music. Ollie is quite clearly having the time of his life. Max although shy and really quite a ‘in the shadows’ kind of a guy, dominates with his bass skills on stage, and Jimmy, although seemingly unaffected by the whole thing, is a thoroughly nice guy and legend on the drums.

I must mention that there was a chap who was playing the synths and keyboards. He was also extremely lovely. I was neither introduced to him, nor is he ever referred to. Shame as he was a nice addition.

Mark my words – these chaps are destined for world domination in a major way if album number 1 is anything to go by. If you haven’t already bought their album (heart tuned to D.E.A.D), get hold of it, and in no time you will find it becomes the theme tune to your daily existence.