Getting to Know: Switches

Catching up with Switches frontman Matt Bishop seconds before he heads to his parents’ house for the holidays, one gets the impression of a man—and a band—in full transition. By all estimates, Bishop and his gang of oh-so-British pop rockers are teetering on the brink of a grand self-realization; that rare point where opportunity seems to knock on every backstage door and the promise of standing-room only crowds are forever ’round the corner. Welcome to that strange place where small town celebrities become household names, but also where soon-to-be rock stars still have to make time for ol’ mum and dad.

Young, charismatic and a bit wide-eyed, Bishop talks of canoodling with his folks much like he describes his band and how it now straddles the line between local notoriety and transcontinental fame: with humor and wily candor. Recounting Switches’ origins, Bishop says that while attending college in Guildford, England, he posted a self-made advert on the university website soliciting potential bandmates. Receiving an unexpectedly large number of replies, Bishop did what any self-respecting college student does with a hankering for the rock and roll lifestyle: He went out drinking.

“I just started hanging out with people to get vibes from them,” Bishop says. “I’m not the most sociable guy and it was quite an effort for me, actually. I have to drink a lot before those kinds of meetings because I get irritated easily. But it worked out well in the end, I think.”

Aside from campus gossip and easy “A” course electives, Bishop also discussed musical influences and playing styles with those he met. In the end, he simply settled on people with whom he felt most comfortable and who shared his taste in music, which is nothing short of a sweeping appreciation for everything from Brit-pop to glam to classic rock and roll. The final result is a four-piece that takes seriously the art of high-flying vocal harmonies, dance-friendly pop anthems and a rock sound that is far more bluster than blues.

Switches’ exuberance on stage made them quick favorites in the U.K. And once they cultivated their live act—and polished that smart-indie guise that makes all the pretty girls swoon—the foursome was flown to Los Angeles to record with accomplished producer, Rob Schnapf. Having produced Elliott Smith’s most influential works, Beck’s Mellow Gold and the debut record of Bishop’s musical idols, the Vines, Schnapf was a dream come true for Bishop and the band.

“That was the best time of my life,” Bishop says. “We wanted to make a really cool-sounding rock record and that’s what Rob helped us do. We had worked with a few producers in England, but some of them were really difficult to work with and a bit awkward—or maybe they were just a bit too English.”

It seems that Anglicism tempered with So-Cal laissez-faire is the perfect recipe for recording success. Switches’ debut album, released in the U.K. in July of 2007, received favorable reviews, as did the tour that supported it. However, with the American release of Lay Down the Law coming eight months after its British counterpart, the band currently finds itself hovering over the Atlantic with one foot firmly planted on English soil, and the other poised to dig in somewhere between Plymouth Rock and Big Sur. “We wanted to take our time to make sure everything was right,” Bishop says. “I think people will get what they’re waiting for.”

For Switches, it’s all about where they are and where they’re going, and only the future knows if they’ll be able to make a continental leap without losing a step. In the meantime, Bishop must content himself in occupying that very difficult yet extraordinary middle ground, where everything’s possible but nothing’s certain…nothing, that is, except a home-cooked meal and faith in one’s chosen creative path.

“I’ve been playing music since I was three years old,” Bishop says. “And my parents have always encouraged me to just go for it. I’ve always loved rock music. There’s just no other life for me.” F