Hit The Switch

Hit the Switch originated in Riverside, California, during 2001, releasing their debut EP in that same period. After this initial output, shifts in personnel occurred, leading to a stable configuration featuring vocalist and guitarist Matthew Hawks, bassist Ray Ramirez, drummer Scott Perry, along with guitarist Joel Urias. Subsequent releases included an additional EP and a full-length album in the summer of 2005, which drew the notice of Nitro Records, resulting in a contract signed with the imprint at the start of 2006. Their debut for the label, Domestic Tranquility & Social Justice, emerged that summer as a self-produced effort showcasing melodic yet aggressive punk stylings occasionally accented by metallic guitars; to promote the band more cost-effectively than via conventional retail channels, it was offered exclusively as a free online download. Concert tours ensued in the aftermath, yet by winter the musicians had returned to recording facilities to commence work on the next album.