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Switchfoot

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Switchfoot is also a surfing term.

Switchfoot is an alternative rock / power pop / post-grunge band from San Diego, California, United States, known for its spiritually evocative and socially aware lyricism. The current members are Jon Foreman (vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums), Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), and Drew Shirley (guitar). With three guitarists in the line-up often operating simultaneously, and Jerome's work on the synthesizer, the band works up a densely layered sound that's melodic and catchy, often driven by guitar riffs. Switchfoot gained mainstream recognition after the inclusion of four of their songs in the 2002 movie A Walk to Remember. This recognition led to their major label debut, The Beautiful Letdown, which was released in 2003, featuring their best-known singles, "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move".

Switchfoot
Background information
Years active1997–present
MembersJon Foreman
Tim Foreman
Chad Butler
Jerome Fontamillas
Drew Shirley
Websitehttp://www.switchfoot.com/

According to Jon Foreman, the name "Switchfoot" is a surfing term. "We all love to surf and have been surfing all our lives so to us, the name made sense. To switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It's about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music" [1].

Band history

Switchfoot was founded in 1996 as Chin Up, consisting of Jon and his brother Tim, along with Chad on the drums. After only playing a handful of shows, in 1997, the band was contacted by Charlie Peacock, and signed to his re:think Records, a division of Sparrow Records, under the current moniker "Switchfoot". Re:think would distribute their first three albums, The Legend of Chin, New Way to be Human and Learning to Breathe.

Of Switchfoot's first three albums Learning to Breathe was the most successful. The album has been certified gold by the RIAA, and received a grammy nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album.

In 2002 Switchfoot had a large role in the music for the movie A Walk to Remember. Singer and actor Mandy Moore, who starred in the movie, sang Switchfoot's song "Only Hope" during a scene in the movie. The movie's sound track also featured a duet with Mandy Moore and Jon Foreman, and as many as four other Switchfoot songs, besides Mandy Moore's cover of "Only Hope"[2].

The Beautiful Letdown

In early 2003 Switchfoot released their major label debut, The Beautiful Letdown, representing the band's evolution from the predominantly lo-fi, indie rock sound of their early albums, toward a more layered, synth-influenced sound that helped launch the band to mainstream popularity. This could be attributed to the fact that the album was the first to include keyboardist Jerome Fontamillas, formerly of industrial bands Mortal and Fold Zandura. Jerome had been touring with Switchfoot since 2000, following the release of Learning to Breathe.

The Beautiful Letdown has been certified double-platinum, and went on to sell more than 2.6 million copies, on the strength of constant touring and huge radio hits "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move" (which received a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award in 2005). A DVD of the band's live concert, Live in San Diego, went platinum as well. "This Is Your Life" was also released on radio, and the song "Gone" has also received airplay on Christian radio stations as well, despite not being released as an actual single. In 2005, Switchfoot received five Dove Award nominations, and won four, including Artist of the Year.

Nothing Is Sound

Guitarist Drew Shirley, after touring with the band since 2003, became an official member in 2005, and contributed to Switchfoot's latest album, Nothing Is Sound, which was released on September 13, 2005. Drew's inclusion saw Switchfoot's sound become even more densely layered and guitar-heavy, resulting in an album that was edgier and darker than any of their previous works. To promote this album Switchfoot had previously released "Stars" as a radio single, which continued being played on many mainstream radio stations. "We Are One Tonight" was released as a single in early 2006.

The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, an all-time high for the band, while bassist Tim Foreman attracted headlines by speaking out against the copy-protection [3] used by the label and providing fans a detailed workaround on the band's message board, which was quickly deleted by Sony. This copy-protection is known as Extended Copy Protection, which has been identified by leading anti-virus companies as a trojan horse and a rootkit.

In Spring of 2006 the band introduced "a video diary of life on the road" in the form of freely downloadable video podcasts available via iTunes. In addition to featuring snippets of upcoming songs and live performances of hit singles, the videos give fans an inside look at the more casual and humorous aspects of the band members' touring lives, as well as clips of the band working on the upcoming album.

Future Album 'Oh! Gravity'

Template:Future album On June 2 Switchfoot e-mailed a newsletter containing a free download of "Daylight to Break", and a statement from Tim implying that the band wants to have a new album out by the end of the year, as well as thanking their fans for helping keep the band together for ten years. The band also set up a webcam in their recording studio, which could be viewed on their website. A contest was conducted to give fans a chance to win an opportunity to be in the studio with the band, and play cowbell on the new record. A podcast featured the winning fan in the studio with the band, playing cowbell.

Bootlegs of acoustic radio performances of a song called "Oh! Gravity" (clips of its studio version can be found in the podcasts) and another untitled song, as well as the song "Awakening" which the band has been playing on their most recent tour, are circulating amongst fans on Switchfoot's message boards. These songs are predicted to be a part of the next album.

"The album is done", according to a Switchfoot MySpace blog[4]. It is scheduled to be released on December 26[5]. The album will be titled "Oh! Gravity", and the first single is scheduled to be released to radio in mid September[6].

Influences

Switchfoot's frontman and guitarist Jon Foreman cites his musical influences as U2, The Police, The Beatles, Bach, Ronny Jordan, Miles Davis, Keith Green and Nirvana. Guitarist Drew cites U2, Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tommy Walker, Phil Keaggy, Michael Jackson, Dave Matthews Band and the Brand New Heavies, while bassist Tim pays tribute to Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder [7] [8]. Chad also cites Stevie Wonder as his main influence, besides Dave Grohl[9]. Though they draw from a varied number of influences, they sound very different from any of their heroes. “We’ve never fit in any of the genre boxes,” says Jon. “I think that diversity is our strength” [10].

Songwriters like Bono, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, have inspired Jon's hope-laden lyrics [11]. "We try to make music for thinking people," he mentions [12], which is evident in his allusions to the works of philosophers like Søren Kierkegaard and Augustine of Hippo in the songs "Sooner or Later (Soren's Song)" and "Something More (Augustine's Confession)" respectively. "Meant to Live", the band's runaway hit, was inspired by T. S. Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men" [13], while "Stars", the lead single off Nothing Is Sound, briefly "looks at things from the Descartes perspective," according to Jon [14].

Switchfoot and Christian music

Switchfoot is often referred to as a "Christian band", mostly due to their involvement with the Christian rock scene in their early days. But the band has always shunned this label. "For us, it's a faith, not a genre", says Jon Foreman. "We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind — and that's what we want." [15] Duly, Jon's lyrics steer clear of preachiness, exclusive declarations of faith, or even any mention of Jesus Christ, instead questioning the status quo, pondering existential questions through "Socratic dialogue" [16]in which he answers questions with more questions, or simply being inspirational. This approach has resulted in them often being described as a "thinking person's" band [17] [18]. Jon's poetry is acclaimed by fans and critics alike for its heartfelt honesty, which is evident in his appraisal of the human condition, and in his willingness to not just embrace faith, but to progressively question it as well.

As a result, the band's fan base transcends different beliefs and lifestyles. "As a musician I guess the only thing I would ask from a listener is to put the CD in, close your eyes and forget about all the peripherals," says Jon Foreman. "I guess that's a dream that may not happen in my lifetime, but I listen to music from all sorts of people and I think there is an open-minded individual who will be able to listen to music of all types." [19] Though they hold this position, they have not alienated their Christian fans: as in their indie days, they are still distributed to Christian retail outlets through Sparrow Records, thereby being featured on Christian radio and charts, and presented Dove Awards, despite currently being signed to Columbia Records, a mainstream label. In June of 2006 the band was featured on the cover of CCM Magazine[20], after declining the honor for years [21].

In his book "Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside the Phenomenon of Christian Rock", Spin writer Andrew Beaujon finds Switchfoot "interesting" because, according to him, "their lyrics often have two different meanings, one meaning for a Christian audience and one meaning for the rest of us. They try to relate to two different groups of people at once" [22].

Other projects

Switchfoot has been actively involved in humanitarian causes, including DATA, the ONE Campaign, the Keep A Breast Foundation, Invisible Children and To Write Love On Her Arms.

  • The Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am Surf Contest is a benefit contest/concert run by the band to raise money for Care House and Casa de Amparo, organizations serving homeless kids in San Diego, the band's hometown.
  • Before recording Nothing Is Sound the band made a trip to several South African villages, which inspired the album's song "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine". Seeing things like an orphanage filled with infants who all lost their parents to AIDS, palling around with orphans in the streets, and getting involved with a children's choir called "Kuyasa Kids" moved them to start an ambitious organization called Lowercase People. LP publishes a quarterly online magazine for music, arts and social justice. They have also produced a CD by the Kuyasa Kids (available at the magazine's and the band's website) so that the kids can be empowered by making money for their communities[23].

Trivia

  • E. E. Kennedy, a film student at USC, made a documentary on Switchfoot, titled "Everything to Lose", which follows Switchfoot's life on tour and at home. The film is not going to be released to the public, but was shown at various film festivals around the US in 2003. Some of its footage was used in the Switchfootage DVD.
  • Throughout The Legend of Chin CD booklet, there are pictures of an Asian boy, identified only as "Chin". When Jerome joined the band, many were asking if he was Chin, because of his Asian descent. However, Chin is in fact Willis Chin, a good friend of the members of Switchfoot [24].
  • Jon and Tim were in a Led Zeppelin cover band in Junior High [25].
  • Jon and Tim Foreman were also in a punk-rock band called "ETC" before forming Switchfoot. Jon at one time planned a re-release of their only album to the delight of diehard Switchfoot fans, but changed his mind after reviewing the quality of the tracks.
  • Switchfoot endorses Atticus and Macbeth, fashionwear companies influenced by music and run by musicians [26]. The band also appeared in a Rolling Stone ad campaign for the Honda Civic Hybrid [27].
  • Switchfoot tries to make their concerts affordable for fans. They typically charge venues between $35,000 to $40,000 USD per gig. This is very cheap when compared to other bands of the same popularity (who charge 4 or 5 times that amount), and allows the venues to sell tickets at lower prices. [28]

Discography

Albums

Year Title Label(s) Status
1997 The Legend of Chin re:think
1999 New Way to Be Human re:think
2000 Learning to Breathe re:think Gold
2003 The Beautiful Letdown Red Ink
Columbia 		Double Platinum
2005 Nothing Is Sound Sparrow
Columbia 		Gold
2006 Oh! Gravity Sparrow
Columbia

Singles

Year Title Peak Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK Singles
2003 "Meant to Live" 18 5 36 29 The Beautiful Letdown
2004 "Dare You to Move" 17 9 - - The Beautiful Letdown
2004 "This Is Your Life" - 30 - - The Beautiful Letdown
2005 "Stars" 68 16 39 - Nothing Is Sound
2006 "We Are One Tonight" - - - - Nothing Is Sound

DVDs

Billboard Album Chart Positions

Year Title Chart positions
Heatseekers Billboard 200 Top Christian Albums Top Internet Albums
1999 New Way to Be Human 31
2000 Learning to Breathe 34
2003 The Beautiful Letdown 16 1 16
2005 Nothing Is Sound 3 1 1

Awards

Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards

  • 2001 - "Les Paul Horizon Award" for the most promising up-and-coming guitarist — Jon Foreman
(Interestingly, 5 years after Jon won the award, Switchfoot was invited to play alongside guitar legends at the all-star "Les Paul & Friends: 90th Birthday Salute", a concert in tribute to Les Paul. [29])

ASCAP Awards

See also ASCAP
  • 1997 - "Best New Artist"
  • 2006 - "Impact Award" awarded "to celebrate the success and influence of his songs in mainstream rock music" [30]— Jon Foreman
  • 2006 - Top 50 list of Most Performed Song of 2005 - Dare You To Move

GMA Dove Awards

See also GMA Music Awards
  • 2004 - "Rock Recorded Song of the Year" — Ammunition
  • 2004 - "Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year" — The Beautiful Letdown
  • 2004 - "Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year" — Meant to Live
  • 2005 - "Artist of the Year"
  • 2005 - "Short Form Music Video of the Year" — Dare You To Move
  • 2005 - "Long Form Music Video of the Year" — Live In San Diego
  • 2005 - "Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year" — Dare You To Move
  • 2006 - "Short Form Music Video of the Year" — Stars

San Diego Music Awards

See also San Diego Music Awards
  • 1997 - "Best New Artist"
  • 2001 - "Best Pop Artist"
  • 2001 - "Best Pop Album" — Learning to Breathe
  • 2002 - "Best Adult Alternative Artist"
  • 2003 - "Best Pop Album" — The Beautiful Letdown
  • 2003 - "Album of the Year" — The Beautiful Letdown
  • 2004 - "Song of the Year" — Dare You To Move
  • 2006 - "Artist of the Year Nomination"

References

  1. ^ Switchfoot learns to breathe - published September 25, 2000 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  2. ^ Soundtracks for A Walk to Remember (2002) - IMDb (retrieved August 30, 2006)
  3. ^ Switchfoot Laments the Copy Protection on their CD - published September 19, 2005 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  4. ^ Record is done - MySpace published August 7, 2006 (retrieved August 13, 2006)
  5. ^ New Album Update - published August 21, 2006 (retrieved August 21, 2006)
  6. ^ EMICMG Distribution - (retrieved August 13, 2006)
  7. ^ Switchfoot: Band Info - (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  8. ^ Interview with Jon Foreman of Switchfoot - published November 2000 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  9. ^ Switchfoot 'Let's Go' Chicago - published March 2003 (retrieved August 23, 2006)
  10. ^ Switchfoot - VH1 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  11. ^ Switchfoot's frontman has faith in his ability - published March 19, 2004 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  12. ^ Far From A Letdown: Switchfoot in Chicago - (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  13. ^ Song Stories from Jon Foreman - (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  14. ^ Switchfoot's Music Page - (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  15. ^ Switchfoot steps toward stardom - The Boston Globe published January 9, 2004 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  16. ^ Question and Answer with Switchfoot's Jon Foreman - published October 13, 2004 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  17. ^ Switchfoot releases new album "Nothing Is Sound" - The Mercury News published September 12, 2005 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  18. ^ Nothing is Sound tour - published October 3, 2005 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  19. ^ Switchfoot Want You To Focus On Their Music - published October 19, 2005 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  20. ^ Learning to Breathe - CCM Magazine published June 2006 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  21. ^ Under their Influence - CCM Magazine published June 2006 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  22. ^ Christian soldiers now can march to a different, earthier rhythm - published June 30, 2006 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  23. ^ lowercase people - (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  24. ^ Ode 2 Chin - (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  25. ^ Switchfoot Look Like California Raisins After Video Shoot - VH1 published August 4, 2005 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  26. ^ Band members produce clothing for themselves and their fans - published June 11, 2006 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  27. ^ San Diago CityBEAT - published December 21, 2005 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  28. ^ San Diego rockers fill Civic Center - published April 24, 2006 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  29. ^ Les Paul & Friends: 90th Birthday Salute - published January 27, 2006 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
  30. ^ EMI CMG Publishing Sweeps ASCAP Christian Music Awards - published April 10, 2006 (retrieved August 9, 2006)
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