For our latest Headline Act, we’re heading down to Northampton to catch up with Headswitcher, a four-piece who’ve been busy making a name for themselves on the local circuit over the last couple of years, and who recently released their EP Out of Reach (review here). Channelling the raw energy of the likes of Soundgarden and Black Sabbath, the guys have already notched up fifty gigs and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. We had a chat with the band to talk about their “drywall” guitars, the Bruce Dickinson track that inspired their name, and why they reckon their sound has a bit of something for everyone.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We all come from Northampton.
How did you meet?
We met through the local music scene, having all played in bands that had a connection on the local circuit. After my old band broke up, I took to Instagram to call out for musicians who would be interested in playing tunes with me. I quickly got a response from Ollie Rumens (our lead guitar player). Together, we recruited Harry Hunter (drums) and Will Deamer (bass). After about a year, Deamer left the band and we got Callum John Brown in as our new bass player.
How long have you been playing as a band?
A little over two years now; we started jamming around October 2023.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
Well, it’s an interesting one actually. Rumens had the idea of using the name Headswitcher for the band. He got it from a Bruce Dickinson song named “Headswitch”.
What are your influences?
Influences come from quite a lot of different bands, but I think the main ones are Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Black Sabbath, and Bon Jovi. I like that all of these bands have very different flavours from one another, yet they all represent raw rock and roll energy.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
I think if there’s anything that makes us unique, it’s that we have a wide selection of different sounds within our setlists. Some of our songs are more punk rock inspired, but some are more melodic. It feels like we can appeal to different types of gig-goers with different music tastes.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Most of the lyric themes revolve around general life and the kind of emotional trials a person can experience. Some songs are about my personal experiences and others are more observable of other people and their emotions.
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What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Our live shows can best be described as energetic. We always make sure to put our all into every show. For me personally, my top priority is to be as entertaining as possible and hopefully improve a person’s day. Interestingly enough, at the time of answering this, we have played exactly 50 gigs.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
I think probably the wildest thing I’ve done at a show was jump into the audience to join in on the mosh pit. It was an outdoor gig, so we were pitting on top of solid concrete… luckily nobody fell down.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Harry plays on a Pearl Export kit with a mismatch of Zildjian cymbals. Callum uses a Fender Precision Bass which is modified with some different pickups. Rumens mostly uses a black Telecaster with humbuckers through a Blackstar amp. I usually use my “Telecaster” which, despite saying Fender on the headstock, is actually not a Fender. The body is made of drywall and the guitar has no right to be as good to play as it is! Amp-wise, I use a Marshall Dual Super Lead 20.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Currently, we are plugging our latest music video which came out about a month ago. So far it is being received well and we are all super grateful to everyone who has checked it out so far.
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
Well, I cannot reveal too much, but I will say we have a few more releases planned for the coming months. We are also in the process of writing new songs, so should hopefully have some more for the setlist very soon.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you?
I might be dreaming very big here, but one of the ultimate headliners would be Skid Row. I love them for their energy and just the massive catalogue of classic hard rockin’ tunes they have. For the support band, I’d have to go with our good friends in Latent Dream. They’re definitely a Northampton band worth checking out. They have an amazing sense of melody with songs that bring a tear to my eye every time I hear them, and they sure as hell can rock out too.
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