Switched (previously depicted as Sw1tched) was a nu metal music group from … Read Full Bio ↴Switched (previously depicted as Sw1tched) was a nu metal music group from Cleveland, Ohio.

Forming in 1999 as Sw1tch, the band played shows around Ohio and released a demo entitled Fuckin' Demo. The songs "Anymore", "Wrongside", "Inside", "Darkening Days", "Last Chance", and "Skins", which appear in their demo versions on this CD, went on to appear on the Subject to Change album. This demo was later re-released on disc two of the "Ghosts in the Machine" album in 2006. Since a funk band already had rights to the name Switch, the band had to change their name to Sw1tched, and was later signed to Immortal/Virgin Records. After recording all of the bass for the Subject to Change album, bassist Shawn May left the band for unknown reasons, and was replaced by Chimaira drum tech Jason French. French did play bass on one song on the album, though, since the band re-recorded the song "Walk Away" before the album was released.

Switched rose to prominence playing at popular festivals such as Ozzfest in 2002 and on the Vans Warped Tour in 2001 and 2002. Their debut album titled, Subject to Change was released via Immortal/Virgin Records in 2002, and went on to sell over 100,000 records worldwide.

Sometime before the band began work on their second album, they fired bassist Jason French for unknown reasons. They then replaced him with former Stereomud/Stuck Mojo bassist Corey Lowery, who would eventually leave the band to join Dark New Day. They also parted ways with drummer Chad Szeliga sometime in this time period, and as a result, most of the drums on the "Ghosts in the Machine" album are programmed. During the recording phase for their second album, the band decided to go on an indefinite hiatus, mainly due to the band's poor relationship with Immortal Records. The hiatus more-or-less signaled that they had broken up, and members of the band went on to other projects.

Former bassist Shawn May, who had left the band in 2001 prior to the release of "Subject to Change", started a custom bass shop in Michigan. Drummer Chad Szeliga joined popular post-grunge group Breaking Benjamin in 2004, bassist Corey Lowery helped form alternative metal group Dark New Day, lead guitarist B.C. Kochmit joined then left hard rock group "Rikets" to form his own projects, called "Tinjen", "Shambella", and "My Alter-Ego Experiment", and is currently the lead guitar player in Dark New Day. Vocalist Ben Schigel found success as a producer working with bands such as Drowning Pool, Chimaira, Breaking Benjamin, Rikets, Bleed the Sky and Allele.

With help from their first manager, Thom Hazaert, now co-president of Californian indie label, Corporate Punishment Records, the group reformed (with a modified lineup) and released their second album titled, Ghosts in the Machine on January 10, 2006. The two-disc album contains rarities, b-sides and demos. The first disc includes eleven tracks that were intended for the band's second Immortal release, while the second disc includes four live songs plus several demos and the unreleased track "She Blinded Me with Science". The quality of the first disc can be described as "rough" as the tracks weren't yet mastered and still in the demo phase.

A repackaged version of Subject to Change was also released which features the b-side track "Spread", the Howard Benson produced alternate versions of "Walkaway" and "Inside" and the Rick Will mix of "Inside". Two videos for "Inside" are also included.

The name SW1TCH also currently belongs to a Cortland, NY artist (Peter Natale) who creates music for clubs.

Switched declared a second hiatus after Ghosts in the Machine but as of January 2010, according to Ben Schigel, there are no plans to continue with Sw1tched. Ben Schigel currently works as a producer at Spider Studios in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. He has produced bands such as Ringworm, Chimaira, Bleed The Sky and Solus Deus; just to name a few.

Bassist Corey Lowery and guitarist B.C. Kochmit have since formed hard rock supergroup Eye Empire with solo artist Dixie Duncan and former members of Submersed singer Donald Carpenter and drummer Garrett Whitlock.

Ben Schigel produces bands at his Spider Studio. He also plays drums for pop rock band SomeKindaWonderful.

Empty Promises
Switched Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Faceless
Lost in the shadows
Searching for someone to love
Forced to live within your problems
A life that is much too real

Chorus
Kicking, Screaming

While you care to be heard
Failing to come up
Close your eyes and fill your lives with
Empty promises, hold them inside
Cause the harder the fall
(The more) you fail to hide
Your empty promises

Losing control of your lives
Hoping to live another night
Your left with so much to offer
You should've put up a better fight

Chorus

Your empty promises x4

(music)

Close your eyes
And fill your lives with
Empty promises, hold them inside
Cause the harder you fall
(The more) you fail to hide
X2

Your empty promises x5

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Empty Promises" by Switched convey a sense of hopelessness and despair in the face of personal struggles. The opening lines speak of feeling lost and alone, searching for love but unable to find it. The singer is forced to confront the problems in their life, living in a reality that is too harsh and unforgiving.

The chorus seems to suggest a frustration with the inability to be heard or make progress. The imagery of kicking and screaming implies a desperate struggle for change, but ultimately the singer feels like they are failing to make any headway. The repetition of the phrase "empty promises" reinforces the sense of futility, as though promises made to oneself or others have not been fulfilled.

The second verse paints a picture of someone who is teetering on the brink, hoping to survive another day. The line "You should've put up a better fight" suggests that the singer feels like they have not done enough to overcome their challenges. Overall, the lyrics of "Empty Promises" express a sense of disillusionment and disappointment with the way things are, and a desire for something better that has not come to fruition.

Line by Line Meaning

Faceless
Feeling anonymous and unimportant

Lost in the shadows
Feeling invisible and insignificant

Searching for someone to love
Desperately seeking a meaningful connection

Forced to live within your problems
Compelled to suffer through personal issues

A life that is much too real
A life that is full of hard truths and struggles

Kicking, Screaming
Struggling to make your voice heard and make a difference

While you care to be heard
Even while you crave attention and validation

Failing to come up
Unable to succeed or make progress

Close your eyes and fill your lives with
Ignore reality and cling to unrealistic hopes and dreams

Empty promises, hold them inside
Make empty vows to yourself and keep them secret

Cause the harder the fall
The more devastating the disappointment