Interview: Hit The Switch
Hit The Switch “March Of Dissent”
by James Wright
Nitro Records’ newest signing Hit the Switch may hail from sunny Riverside, California where the weather is always warm, but that doesn’t mean their singing is about surfing and girls on the beach. In fact their latest album “Domestic Tranquility & Social Justice” is boiling with 12 tracks of pissed off punk that reeks of socio-political dissent and screams for change. Frontman Matt Hawks managed to fill us in on just why they’re so pissed off, but still not afraid to party.
“Domestic Tranquility & Social Justice” is a heavy title for a record. What is the significance of the title?
Matt Hawks: The words were extracted from the constitution. Originally, they meant that the new country was capable of ensuring these things, but it seems like today these words still linger as political rhetoric and we felt they should carry some relevance. We chose it as more of a sarcastic portrayal of today’s political substance in punk rock and it sounded pretty cool at the time.
Care to give us some insight into what inspired the punk rock rant of “Mr. Abrasive”?
Any fucking jerk off who ever criticized an illegal substance before pounding a beer or popping a pill inspired us to write that shit. Hypocrites posing as upright citizens are diverting attention away from there own destructive indulgences. It’s illegal to smoke weed, but that’s the government regulating something they think we can’t control on our own, but they feel alcoholism is? People do a number of things in excess on a daily basis, all of them which can be harmful when abused. The war on drugs is a fucking joke. Billions of dollars of our money is spent on contraband, but drug law fines, bail money, and drug prescriptions taxes are what fund the war on drugs.
What is the band’s stance on drugs and alcohol?
Let’s party! We believe that any substance can be abused so you must always set priorities above your indulgences and practice moderation. Also know your limits kids! Cheers!
“Anarcho-Syndicalist” features a rant by famous anarchist Rudolf Rucker. Are you worried that people might think that you advocate anarchism?
We chose to write about him because he was a man who struggled to create a way of life and provide the mind with the ability to exercise human freedom to its full potential. What separates man from beast is our ability to go against the commands of nature and to derive knowledge. Fucking free will, man. So what separates us once our freedom has been limited? Rocker had morals and he still had compassion and he wasn’t some mad man just saying “Fuck the government.”
What do you say to those people who believe political musicians should get down off their soapbox?
We would say to those people it’s better to be writing about something constructive, rather than girls, money, and cars. It’s so routine to get caught up in the hype of fashion, money, and power, but there are way more substantial matters worth making music for. We don’t believe we are better than anyone, but we feel obligated to share what we know. With knowledge comes great responsibility.
2006 Domestic Tranquility & Social Justice (Nitro)
