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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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the Music Lounge by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A & E Writer |
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| SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW : A little Brit dishy: Matt Bishop of Switches ready to play and party in America | |
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by Albert Rodriguez -
SGN A&E Writer Rock bands come. Rock bands go. Switches are here to play. The UK foursome, signed to the same label as Amy Winehouse, U2, Snow Patrol and Beck, are ready to thrill American music audiences with the release of their debut Lay Down the Law and a nationwide tour with The Bravery kicking off this week in Colorado. The 26-city road outing includes a Seattle appearance at Neumos on January 25. Sounding like a fusion of Franz Ferdinand, The Killers and The All-American Rejects, it shouldn't take long for Switches to ride their own wave onto MP3 players and car stereos here in the US, as they've successfully already done in Britain and across Asia. At a London train station with his girlfriend a day before boarding a plane to LA, lead singer Matt Bishop revealed his enthusiasm for the band's upcoming trip to America and set the stage for what could be a banner year for Switches. With a sexy English accent and a devilishly playful attitude, Bishop is more Orlando Bloom than Hugh Grant. Confident, not cocky. Fun, never boring. Wild, yet always in control. Tickets for Switches, opening for The Bravery, are priced at $15 and available at www.neumos.com or at the door. Ear-sample music by Switches at www.myspace.com/weareswitches. From a train station nine hours away, here's what Matt Bishop gabbed about inside "The Music Lounge." Albert Rodriguez: How excited are you a day before getting on a plane bound for the US? Matt Bishop: I'm excited, very excited! I've already had a few celebratory drinks. Rodriguez: What do you do on such a long trip overseas? Bishop: I'll probably get as drunk as I can and watch some crappy movie. Rodriguez: That's my favorite thing to do when I travel. I love to drink and fly. Bishop: Me too. It makes it fun. If I don't drink when I fly, I end up crapping my pants. I just like getting on the plane all fuzzy and happy, then the plane takes off and I sort of drift away. Rodriguez: Is there anything in your bags that might not clear security? Bishop: I've got a microphone with a sort of a long lead [plug-in] that might become used as some sexual, um, you know like bondage-style thing that might get me banned from the plane. Rodriguez: So you've got all your stuff packed? Plenty of underwear, T-shirts, and tight pants? Bishop: I've got plenty of underwear. It should last a bit. Rodriguez: Did you pack your tight red pants? Bishop: Yes, I have. Just for you! I've got some new black-striped pants as well. Rodriguez: Your iPod is all charged? Bishop: Yeah, it's got a few new albums on it. I got a new album by Rivers Cuomo of Weezer. Rodriguez: Do you and your girlfriend hang out at any Gay clubs in London? Bishop: No, I have a friend Will who hangs out at Gay clubs. But I don't go to any. If you've got any in Seattle you want to show me, I'm game. Rodriguez: A lot of straight chicks have Gay friends. I thought your girlfriend might have some. Bishop: [asks his girlfriend if she has Gay friends, she says yes] She has got Gay friends, but I don't think I've met any of them yet. [she says something else to him] Oh, okay. My girlfriend went to a Gay club in London the other week and said it was great. Apparently, I met her afterwards. I think I was drunk. She came away with pink cowboy hats. She put one on me and took a photo. I look very nice. Rodriguez: Has the lineup changed for Switches [since the band's 2007 visit to Seattle]? Bishop: Yeah, we got rid of the boring guys. Basically, to be quite honest, it's the three of us who came out with you that night. ["The Music Lounge" partied with Switches at the Cha Cha last August.] Rodriguez: Do you know what the first single from the album is going to be? Bishop: I think we're making a video for a track called "Drama Queen." So I'm guessing that will be the first single. Rodriguez: I'm crossing my fingers for "Lovin' It." Bishop: That's a possible single as well. A lot of people like that song. We're just fortunate that we made an album with a lot of potential singles on it. Rodriguez: What was your impression of Seattle when you were here last summer? Bishop: That was our first and only time in Seattle, and we loved it. Rodriguez: Besides Seattle, what was your favorite city from your previous and only trip to the U.S.? Bishop: Hmmm, apart from Seattle probably Detroit. It was kind of earthy, and it has a lot of cool rock and roll history. I felt really cool there. I'll probably regret that decision the next time I go there and get mugged or something. And also, of course, LA. We recorded our album there and met new friends there. Rodriguez: What's your overall impression of American youth in comparison to UK youth? Bishop: I think youth and teenagers in the United Kingdom are so obsessed with image and being cool and being too pretentious. Whereas in America, the kids are just out having a good time. That's my impression of America, and to be honest with you I prefer that. So I can't wait to leave the English kids behind for a few months at least. Rodriguez: What was your favorite album of 2007? Bishop: I think my favorite album that came out last year was Hey Venus by Super Furry Animals. I've been a big fan of theirs since I was younger, and I got their album this year, or last year rather, and I really enjoyed it. Rodriguez: Do you like Klaxons, M.I.A. or Arctic Monkeys? Bishop: I love Klaxons! I can't stop listening to their album, actually. I was very suspicious at first because it was hyped up so ridiculously in England. But I got the album anyway, and really liked it. That was definitely one of my favorite albums of last year. Rodriguez: Well, we're excited to have you back in Seattle very soon. It should be a blast! Bishop: We're really looking forward to it. We're committed, and we'll come back to play in America as many times as you want us to. We really want to do well there with you guys. We're going to rock harder than last time, that's for sure! |
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