SWITCHBACK LIVE
American Roots and Celtic Soul (Volume 1)
OK…so my name is Jim Sundberg and my wife Karen and I have toured the world with these guys since 2005. Karen is the marketing coordinator for the band and I book most of the shows for them in Michigan and Ontario, and sometimes over in Ireland and Italy. Several years ago when we first met the band, I was absolutely overwhelmed with the variety of songs they had written and played while out on the road. And after we got to know them, I felt compelled to document their travels. The crazy thing is that they let me tag along! I have recorded hundreds of hours of audio and video, and have shot thousands of photos of Switchback in some pretty amazing locations.
One thing I should mention is that photography and videography is my real job, but doing it for Switchback is a whole lot more fun. I mean who wouldn’t have a great time traveling all over Ireland, Canada and the U.S. with these guys and getting served free Guinness at the shows (hey I was with the band, I had to take the free beer).
Switchback doesn’t just play music; these guys are great comedians, storytellers and historians. And after you see them play a few shows (and you should) you start to appreciate the little things, like how they can tune their instruments in-between songs while giving you a fascinatingly obscure history lesson about the city in which they are currently playing (yeah, they do their homework). Oh, and did you know that an Englishman wrote the Irish classic Danny Boy? You would if you’d ever been to a Switchback show.
With so much material gathered over the years, it was inevitable that we would release a series of live albums. This very first live album contains 12 incredible performances, recorded over an 8 year period in the USA and Canada. We selected these tunes to give you a true flavor of a Switchback concert, with all the energy, enthusiasm and eclecticism (one of Marty’s favorite words) that comes from these two guys every time they perform. Switchback LIVE, American Roots and Celtic Soul (Volume 1) is your own personal, hand-crafted Switchback show. Sit back and enjoy (free Guinness not included…sorry)!