Downbeat Switch has quite a history. Known to their fans as DbS, this Richmond-based rock group was initially conceived 80 miles outside the city limits in the tiny rural town of Mathews, VA back in 2002. Within the year, Meredith Brooks (Guitar/Vocals) and Wayne Todd (Bass) relocated to RVA for college, adding a drummer and a lead vocalist in Mike Register and Bryan Clark, respectively. They released their initial demo, entitled Funk Shui, three years later, following it shortly afterwards with Seconds. Their third release, Run From The Sun, dropped in ’09.
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A lot has changed since those early days. They’ve seen the likes of three different keyboard players: Doug DeForge, Tommy Vinson, and finally, current keyboardist Sean Reese. Michael Register has been replaced by Rob Reardon on drums. And most significantly, as fate would have it, Bryan Clark left DbS in 2009, just as another local band, Silk Attraction, was breaking up. Silk Attraction vocalist Jenna Be, who had previously done some guest vocal spots on Run From The Sun, stepped in to take Bryan’s place. Meredith says of Jenna, “I listened to a rough copy of a Silk Attraction song. When I heard Jenna’s voice, I instantly fell in love with it.“
The rest of the band members interrupted, jeering Meredith in a friendly manner. Even I joined in a bit. In hindsight, though, I find it interesting that, in playfully mocking Meredith during this interview, we all had the same testosterone-fueled defensive reaction. Maybe it was to hide the fact that we were all equally enchanted by her voice. Jenna has an amazing set of pipes. Belting her vocals like a gorgeous banshee, stomping her feet, spinning and shaking on stage, she is a siren. But the best part about her role in Downbeat Switch isn’t her looks or vocal talent, but her way with words. Jenna wears the title of frontwoman well, and if anything, Silk Attraction breaking up was one of the many good things that have happened to DbS over the years. Jenna went on to rerecord lead vocal tracks on Run From The Sun, and they re-released it under the new title of Red Door Sessions, commemorating the door of the shed in which they tracked the album. Downbeat Switch has made this eight-song EP available for free for those who attend their shows. It’s also available for download on iTunes.
The past decade has seen a lot of changes for Downbeat Switch, but a few things have stayed the same. Unfortunately, most are negative. Throughout their existence as a band, they’ve had an uphill struggle for respect within the RVA music scene. This city’s opinion is changing, though, as many people who have happened upon recent DbS live performances have become enthusiastic converts. The obvious resemblance of some of their songs to the music of 311 has been a stumbling block for some, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Bringing up the 311 comparisons, I found that not only were the band aware of the influence, some members were flattered by the comparison. The influence is most clear on Red Door Sessions. This EP has a polished sound and delivers a positive, upbeat message, but the reggae-like rhythms and Meredith’s backing vocals are what cause me to associate its sound with Nick Hexum and co.
Since Jenna has been contributing to the songwriting, though, their catalogue has begun to reflect influences that span a broader musical spectrum. Which makes sense--Jenna’s previous band, Silk Attraction, had a much harder sound. She and Sean have recently been working together to create songs, and at one point during the interview, Jenna emphasizes how effortless she finds lyrical composition when she’s able to work with a keyboard player. Where the new songs are concerned, a personal favorite of mine is “Cast Away.” It feels like a poem directed at the listener, but the upbeat rhythm prevents it from being confused with a ballad. Jenna’s influence is a great improvement on an already excellent, but previously more genre-specific collaboration.
When Red Door Sessions was re-released, Tommy Vinson and Michael Register were still members of DbS, but both left abruptly after a show at The Canal Club in the fall of 2010. For a brief moment, both Wayne and Meredith considered giving up on DbS forever. I ran into Meredith shortly after that fateful performance, and when I asked him if he had any upcoming shows, his melancholy response showed his uncertainty about the future of the band.
Fortunately, not long after that meeting, DbS found Rob Reardon. When he first joined the band, Reardon was somewhat intimidated. He explains: “I spent four months learning the drum [parts] to all the songs, but it took me a year to feel fully comfortable playing them.” What Rob may lack in confidence, he makes up for in talent. He’s a perfectionist, poring over every snare hit and cymbal crash--almost to a fault, as with his habit of pointing out the imperfections in his performance to his friends when he gets off stage. However, his flaws are too subtle for me to ever notice. Keyboardist Sean Reese, who was brought into the fold when Rob met him at an RVA Studios jam session, was more confident about his adjustment to DbS membership. “It took me awhile to learn the songs too, but I felt comfortable right after the first show,” Sean explained, smacking his fist into his other palm for emphasis.
I’ve been impatiently anticipating Downbeat Switch’s next album since Rob and Sean joined the band. When I heard that Rob, who I’ve known for over a decade, had joined Downbeat Switch, I praised the addition. Not because he brings more of the same influences to the table (when I met him, his car was adorned with more than one 311 sticker), but because I knew his love for their original tracks would translate well onstage. Sean is a different story. He’s been an occasional drinking partner of mine, and bar chatter made me aware that he was initally coming from a very different place, musically, than the rest of DbS. Strong bonds take time to build, and he has since come to feel at home with his bandmates, but his uniqueness will continue to enhance DbS as long as they can transcend their differences for a collective direction.
In the end, though, the best thing that ever happened to DbS was Wayne and Meredith. They were there when it began, and I imagine they’ll both be there when it ends. They’ve stayed with it through multiple lineup changes that have left them the band’s only original members. Asked about the changes made in the lineup over the years, Meredith explains, “I’d invested so much energy and effort into this band, and it didn’t seem like [some of the] others were putting in any work.” However, he immediately amended his statement with praise for everyone who’d ever been in the band.
Meredith has always been the brains of the operation. He asserts himself the way a patriarch should, both stern and affirmative. Though he’s not as accessible as the others, you can tell he holds it together, much like a father would a family. If intelligence is a burden, and vision is a curse, than Meredith must be very troubled by his thoughts. Like a skilled chess player, the mental gears are constantly spinning, anticipating every possible scenario before it has the chance to happen.
And yet I can’t imagine that the group would function well for very long if he was unwilling to lend an ear to voices other than his own. His words lend credence to this idea--he explains that, while he once felt the need to control every aspect of the musical process, it’s been a relief relinquishing power to others who are as enthusiastic about the band as he is. It’s obvious that, with age and experience, he’s become wiser and more pleasant to work with. Beneath all his nervous energy, there is a stubborn and honorable soul. And finally, he’s not only a great leader but an excellent guitar player to boot, and the only person I’ve ever actually seen play a talk box live.
If Meredith is the brains of Downbeat Switch, Wayne is the heart. Dark and mysterious, usually found wearing a hat and/or shades, he is as cool, low, and confident as his bass technique. Just like his instrument, his personality can easily be lost behind the those of the band’s other members, but without him, they’d never have gotten as far as they have.
If you asked me right now what Richmond artists I thought had the best chance of making it in the music business on a global scale, Downbeat Switch would be my first answer. They’re talented, sexy, and they write excellent songs, but so do a lot of other local acts. What sets them apart is the fact that they are truly unified under the very same vision, working diligently with one another to make music into a paying profession. Their leadership, personality, and overall presentation make them destined for a larger stage in the years to come.