SWITCHBACK7 was founded nearly 8 years ago, and has been nurtured nearly all of those years by two friends with a Rock and Roll dream! Until recently, founding members Ben Imsdahl (vocals/guitar) and Tim Paull (bass) spent much of their time paying dues, hoping for the day that their efforts might enjoy success! Through many difficulties, and several line-up changes, this duo has worked to keep their dream alive, and now, in the year 2003, they are seeing their hard work pay off! I admire the tenacity that these guys have displayed; as many know all too well, there isn’t a lot of patience when the success just isn’t happening. There are so many musicians, and so many bands out there, that it’s easy to walk away from one project, and jump right into another! If you want a project to succeed, sometimes it takes the kind of patience that Imsdahl and Paull have displayed! Our hat is off to them for sticking it out through the tough times, and for working hard to make things happen!

The hard work, in this case, has come in the form of heavy promotion at the street level in the Denver Scene, handing out flyers, and getting the SWITCHBACK7 name into the local stream of consciousness! In conversing with Ben Imsdahl, I asked him what he attributed their latest successes to, and the bottom line of everything that he told me was “hard work”. As a result, there have been a lot of very positive developments! For one, the lineup has now become established, as fellow rockers Brendan Ragan (drums, vocals) and Mark Mangold (guitar) have joined the group, adding their unique styles to the mix! The publicity is also starting to pay off in the form of large crowds who attend SWITCHBACK7’s live shows! Venue owners pay attention when a band is packing the house, and as a result, the band now has the ability, if they want to, to play at least 4 nights a week! Their song, “Imagine” climbed the download charts at DenverLocalMusicScene.com this past July, finally hitting number one the first week of August! As a result, that song was featured as the Song of the Week! The band was also featured on national TV, and as of November, will add a new full-length album release, Scissor Fight, to their list of accomplishments! Can life get any better for the members of SWITCHBACK7?

Scissor Fight is an album saturated with the influence of the band’s founding members. Each song is driven by a combination of two things: the unique vocals of Ben Imsdahl, and the driving, melodic bass lines of Tim Paull. In fact, the album is a culmination of all the struggles endured and hard work invested, and is the new tool that the band hopes to utilize in promoting their music, and in garnering an audience that is nationwide in scope!

This month, be sure to check out SWITCHBACK7! They are working toward two big shows in November, where they will be giving away free copies of Scissor Fight. If you are able to see the band live, do so, and make sure you get your copy of the new record! If, like me, you’re not going to have the chance to see the band live in Denver, you’re your eyes open! The band is hoping to tour outside of their local area in support of the new CD, so they may be coming to your town! If you can’t wait that long, though, make sure you click on the contest entry link above to get your entry in this month’s contest! Two lucky winners will receive a prize pack from the band, which includes a copy of Scissor Fight! You just might be one of those lucky winners!




We here at MidwestBands.com offer our congratulations to SWITCHBACK7, and wish the band much success in coming events, and in continuing their climb to the top of the Rock and Roll Mountain!