Fatal Switch

Fatal Switch – Interview

Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (https://petesrocknewsandviews.com)

PD: What type of artist are you?

FS: We are a Rap Metal Rock band from Montreal Quebec. We play heavy groovy music injected with thought-provoking rap lyrics.

PD: Tell us the brief history of yourself.

FS: Of myself or of the band? Let’s assume with myself.

Since a very young age I have always been artistic. The first time I stepped on a stage and preformed to a few hundred people I was only 5 years old. I sang Elvis Presley’s “Love me Tender“ (a song my uncle taught me). From there preforming on stage was a natural occurrence for me and it evolved from talented shows to musicals. I was only 10 when I landed my first lead role.

My love for drama and music encouraged my parents to move our family from the suburbs back into the city where I attended a prestigious fine arts school in the hopes I would continue to develop my artistic skills and for a time I did. More lead roles in plays, performances with the Montreal Symphony orchestra, east coast and up state tours with McGill University in musicals. I had some amazing exposure and opportunities until…

Until I hit puberty I guess? Until my love for poetry grew into a love for hip hop and beat boxing. Until I got my first hit of Mary Jane mixed with a bit of Busta Ryhmes and Tribe Called Quest?

From there my life was hip hop. I completely immersed myself into the culture. The same culture I got a taste of when I was younger and heard RUN DMC, Kriss Kross and House of Pain. It definitely resurfaced a tribal feeling I had been neglecting for far too long.

PD: Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

FS: I love how you ask about the non-musical influences. That’s a different one!

Musical influences range from Eminem to the roots, Sneaker Pimps, Black Star, 2Pac, Biggie, Metallica. Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, In Flames, Tool, Beastie Boys, RATM, Crazy Town, Limp Bizkit, Korn and so many more. I could go on and on.

Non-Musial influences. Fyodor Dostoevsky, Joe Rogan, Johnny Depp, Jim Carey, George Carlin, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Bruce Lee and many more. This list as well could probably fill the rest of the page lol. But of course, no one influences you more than the circle you surround with and I have been blessed with a beautiful wife and kid, raised by an amazing family and surrounded by some incredible friends. So many people in my life have shaped who I am today and they are the true icons in my story.

PD: What are your dreams and goals?

FS: Is it cliché to say world peace? Honestly, I just want to see the human race get on the right track and end this tyranny and suffering we see all around us. I can’t understand how someone can slave 80 hours a week at a job and barley have enough money to cover rent. I would trade anything in the world to see man and nature reunite without sacrificing the technological advancements we have made. And if through one of my songs I make someone contemplate that for just a moment, I guess that’s probably the closet ill ever get to a dream come true.

PD: Who writes your songs, what are they about?

FS: The instruments on the album were mostly composed by our producer Kevin Jardine with the help of session musicians. The lyrics are all written by myself but since recording the record I managed to put together a full band and we all compose the songs together. And it is coming along better than I could have ever hoped for. On our next album you’ll hear Ralph A Samah on the drums, David Vigliotti on the bass, Ryann Paqueo and Max Rope on the guitars and with myself Steve Tobin always fronting the lyrics.

PD: How do you promote your band and shows?

FS: Online social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram comes in pretty handy for promotion. It’s mostly online at the moment but we are starting to put more YouTube videos together to drive traffic along with word of mouth. Attending other shows, meeting other bands and podcasts with friends would be our other means of communicating the Fatal Switch brand.

PD: What do you think about downloading music online?

FS: I think if someone can do something, they will regardless of what I think. Do I think the government should stop the illegal downloads? Ya. Do I think they should force streaming platforms to pay artist fairly? Ya. Do I think that will ever happen? Not without someone starting a fire… The moment music went online the tides of the industry definitely changed. Some for the good and some for the bad. I just keep looking out for the right wave ride and hope the rest sorts itself out.

PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?

FS: Rewind by NAS. It’s a story, literally rapped backwards. Probably the most genius song in all of hip hop lyrically. Why do I wish I wrote it? Because I don’t think it can be replicated and even if it was it would never be as good as the original. He beat everyone to the thought, the concept. So, I guess I wish I would have though of it first and attempted it. But lets face it, Nas is king and would do better than me time and time again. So I guess I wish I didn’t write it? … On second thought no, I still I wish I did lol

PD: What are some of your pet peeves?

FS: People with poor work ethic. I am pretty calm by nature (unless I am overtired then I just go a little coo coo) but one thing I can’t stand is when an individual won’t put in the effort for themselves. You only got one life, one shot, one chance to pave your path and if you aren’t motivated to give yourself a better life than have to realize that no one will hand one over to you.

That’s why I am so happy and proud of my band and my team. I remember when we first meet and we were having practices in the middle of winter with over 50 inches of snow on the ground, cars stuck in snow banks left and right, black ice, car crashes (welcome to Canada eh?) and they all still showed up. When I saw that happen, I got on the phone with my manager and I said this is it man! We got a real band here. And ever since we show up every week and we write and we work and its magic!

PD: What is your proudest moment in music?

FS: Definitely getting our music videos on national TV. That was our first real break so far thanks to Stingray Loud.

PD: So what are you working on at the moment?

FS: We are working on promoting our debut album Doctors & Demons that just dropped while getting material ready so we can go back into the studio for album number 2 early next year.

PD: What music have you available online and where can we buy it from?

FS: Thanks so much for having this conversation with me. You asked me some really great questions and got my wheels going there. And thanks to all the readers who took the time to get know us a bit better! Drop us a line on Facebook or Instagram we’d love to keep in touch!

You can find our album for streaming, download and purchase over here: https://fatalswitch.fanlink.to/doctors-and-demons