Hit the Switch

Based in Riverside, CA, Hit the Switch formed in 2001 and issued their first EP that same year. Following the album's release, various member changes ensued; the band's lineup eventually solidified around vocalist/guitarist Matthew Hawks, bassist Ray Ramirez, drummer Scott Perry, and guitarist Joel Urias. Another EP and a summer 2005 full-length came next before the guys caught the attention of Nitro Records and inked a deal with the label in early 2006. Highlighting their melodic and aggressive punk (with occasionally metallic guitars), Hit the Switch's self-produced Nitro debut, Domestic Tranquility & Social Justice, was issued that summer; in order to spread their name in a more economical way (instead of through a traditional retail release), the record was made available solely online for free download. Various tour dates followed, though the guys were back in the studio by winter to begin work on their follow-up.