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 Switches
front man Matt Bishop was writing songs at the age when most kids the same age
were still getting the hang of tying their shoelaces. Calling for fellow minded musicians via an
advertisement on the university intranet system, Matt soon found a band with Max
Tite (bass) and Jimmy G (drums) with guitarist Ollie Thomas added to the line
up at a later date. They’ve toured with the Rakes, the Rifles Hard Fi, and more
recently Blur legend Graham Coxon. Their debut album, recorded with Rob Schnapf
in LA is due for release in the spring of 2007.
Hello, how are things?
It’s
going really good at the moment. We’ve just finished our tour with Graham
Coxon, Astoria
was the last date for that. Now we’re just doing some artwork for the album.
So, it’s all going well!
How was it touring with Graham
Coxon?
It
was great touring with Graham. He’s like one of my childhood heroes. I don’t
want to make him sound old or anything, but him and Blur were something I grew
up idolising. A dream come true really.
He’s really nice as well, so that’s a bonus.
Apparently you were something of a
child prodigy, writing music at a really young age.
Yeah
really young, like four or five! I
started making up little songs, but at that age you don’t really know what
you’re doing. But I’ve always had tape recorders and things like that, all
these little instruments, guitars and stuff. So yeah I’ve been into making
music, been obsessed since I was a child which is a bit abnormal I must admit,
but I’m dealing with it nowadays!
What was it that prompted your
interest in song writing at such a young age?
Just
probably my dad’s record collection, I had an abnormal interest in them before
I could even walk. I’d be writing and chewing on his records and things like
that. Strange stuff y;know! I think from then on my parents decided to give me
some instruments and stuff and it went from there really. I must have been about three or four when I
first picked up a guitar. Not a full sized one, but I had a little one – a baby
sized guitar. I must have been four when
my dad taught me the electric guitar.
Being from Southend you must get
asked about The Horrors and Get
Cape Wear
Cape Fly a lot.
Yeah!
I don’t personally know the Horrors at all.
I used to see one of them, I think his name’s Josh, a couple of years
ago when I used to just hang out over the summer when I finished uni and
remembering even then what interesting big hair he had. But I’ve never formally
met any of them and I can’t say I’m particularly enamoured with their music or
their sound. I’ve met Sam (Get Cape Wear Cape Fly). Actually I met him a couple of days ago down
in Exeter on our tour because we were playing Exeter and he was playing Exeter too. I went along to say hello and
hang out with him for a bit, had a few with him drinks and was a lovely fella I
must admit- even though we went to rival schools of course!
Is it true that you lot used to
practise next door to a brothel?
We
used to practise at Jim’s flat in Guildford,
where he lived, above an electronic shop and next door to it were some ladies
that used to receive money for certain favours. I think they were maybe
oriental ladies in their forties. Jim lived there and he said that he noticed
these strange older men popping up for visits and then we realised that it was
a brothel because there was a day centre downstairs and they told us that
they’d been shopped in to the police and shortly afterwards they fled the scene. They were there for a good couple of months.
We remember rehearsing, hearing and seeing people coming in and out. It was
most exciting! We’d never use them ourselves of course.
How’s the album coming along?
We’ve
almost finished it. We started recording it in August, in LA, with Rob Schnapf,
who produced the vines’ albums and Elliott Smith albums and Nine Black Alps and
Beck’s early stuff. So it was a real pleasure to work with him obviously,
because the Vines is one of our favourite bands. So it was great to get the
chance to work with such a great producer in such a great studios in LA. We got
to record at Conway Studios and Sunset sound, which is one of the most famous
studios in the world actually, so we can’t complain, we’re very lucky boys!
How did you spend your free time
in LA?
I
didn’t really have any free time there. The studio hours were twelve noon ‘til
twelve midnight. I was introduced to a few people. I went to see Courtney Love,
I went to her house and that was interesting.
It was very nice of her to invite me over. Not just me obviously, I was
with my manager and various other people that knew her. And also were invited
to the launch party of Jet’s new record. That’s what we did when we weren’t
recording, occasionally people would invite us to come and do things with them.
It was really nice because they probably didn’t know a lot about us, because
we’re a brand new bunch of lads on the scene. We had a very good time, I feel
very privileged to have done all this so far in my young life.
Catch Switches on their UK Tour starting in Bristol on the 10th November.
Info: switchesmusic.co.uk
Words: Helen Duong
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