Local indie outfit Switch 3 have been rocking hard since 2002. Through extensive touring they’ve found a loyal fan base, and they’ve just released their first full-length album Calm Before. The future’s looking bright for this quartet from Canberra. I caught up with lead singer and guitarist Maf Davis for a chat about the new album, life on the road, and why Switch 3 stays independent.
You’ve just released your first full length album Calm Before. What’s the public response been like so far?
The responses we’ve received so far have been fantastic. We couldn’t be happier. It’s funny, you put a lot of time and effort into making an album and during the entire process you can think of nothing more exciting than getting it out there and getting feedback. When it’s all wrapped up that excitement is still there, only it’s mixed with a degree of trepidation – will people like it as much as we do? Will the songs get stuck in their heads like they do us? Will they ‘get’ what we’re trying to do? From what we’ve heard all of these questions have been answered in the affirmative so we’re very stoked.
You worked with ARIA-award winning producer Anton Hagop (Silverchair, Powderfinger, Missy Higgins) on the album. What was he like to work with?
Anton is always awesome to work with. We did Calm Before with him, as well as our last EP. Not only is he a great producer/engineer he’s also someone that we consider a great friend. Sure, he had to crack the whip at times to make sure we stuck to the schedule and we gave him a near brain meltdown by deciding to drop a track and write a whole new one for the album in a day, but that’s what recording is all about.
I’ve heard your music categorised as everything from rock to punk to metal. How would you describe your sound?
I’d say our music is heavy rock with punk/metal influences. How’s that for dodging the question? Seriously though, we like to think that if what we play is difficult to categorise then we’ve obtained our goal and hopefully we’ve got a sound that is unique enough to set us apart.
You’ve got such a diverse set of influences from Iron Maiden to Queen. How do these eclectic bands shape the music you produce?
Each member of the band listens to completely different music and that definitely shapes what we produce by increasing the ideas we can draw from when it comes to writing. A prime example is our drummer Evan. He listens to and plays a lot of jazz. That influence allows him to throw time signatures and other nuances into the mix that I would never be able to think of, mainly because I’ve never heard them before! The way I see it, the greater the number, and the wider the diversity of the influences, the higher the chance of making something unique which is what we’re striving for.
I believe you’re planning to do some local touring next year. What can fans look forward to when they see you live?
We’ve spent a lot of time crafting our sound for one purpose – to have a massive impact at live shows. That’s where we get our biggest kicks so we want everyone who makes the effort to come down to get a kick out of it as well. From having guitars handcrafted specifically for us to choosing the right kind of wood in the drum kit, we’ve done everything we can to make sure people get that ‘whack in the chest’ feel and walk away with a smile on their face. Our set has something for everyone, with enough rock to get the crowd jumping and ample quiet moments for it to grab a drink before doing it all again.
You toured Japan in 2005, and I hear you’re heading back there soon. Are you looking forward to visiting again?
Playing Japan was an amazing experience for us. The level of talent over there totally blew us away, as did the shows and the crowds. We made a lot of great friends and fans so we’re really looking forward to getting back across again as soon as possible. At the moment it looks like we’ll be there early in 2009, which is great because we get to take across our snowboards and hit the snow after our tour like last time. It doesn’t get much better than that!
You’ve shared the stage with some major acts like No Use For a Name, The Butterfly Effect, Grinspoon, Gyroscope, and heaps more. Do you have a favourite act to play with?
We’ve had a great time playing with a whole range of bands, but it’s pretty hard to say which act has been our favourite to share the stage with. The reason is that each time you load up your gear and get ready to go you know you’re in for a new rollercoaster ride with twists and turns you’ll never expect!
You’ve been around since 2002, yet you’ve never signed up with a major label. Why do you choose to remain independent artists?
Remaining independent is something we’ve made the deliberate decision to be. It’s always made perfect sense because it allows us the latitude to do what we like, when and how we like it. Whether we remain independent depends a lot on whether we can find a company that understands what makes us tick and where we want to be.
Some people believe you need to be in Sydney or Melbourne to make it in the music industry, but you split your time between Canberra and Brisbane. What does the music scenes in these cities offer you?
Being split between Canberra and Brisbane puts a different perspective on what it takes to be a band, while having access to two separate music scenes is great because it makes us think more of the bigger picture. It’s easy to get bogged down in things at a local level that often don’t really count in the grand scheme of things – and having band members outside of that situation helps us all stay focused on the big prize which is writing and recording music we love.
And finally, do you have a message for your Aussie fans?
More than anything we’d like to say thanks for keeping the local Aussie music scene so alive and vibrant!
Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment