I love a good story about a band coming together. The story gains interest as I learn more about how they work, create and write music as a group. The amount of success they achieve is not as important, but sometimes adds to the intrigue. This week I’m hoping to provide readers with another of those stories. Weekly Music Commentary features the rock group Switchfoot.
There are two things that I want to start to write about from their overall story. 1) The five members of Switchfoot are from San Diego, CA. 2)Â According to Jon Foreman, the name “Switchfoot” comes from 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.”
The second point is of interest when you understand the history of Switchfoot. Their career is highlighted by nimble footwork around the music industry. Nevertheless, with any story it’s always good to start at the beginning.
Switchfoot was founded in 1996 as Chin Up, consisting of Jon Foreman and his brother Tim, along with Chad Butler on drums. After playing only a few shows, the band was contacted by music industry veteran Charlie Peacock and eventually signed to his indie label Re:think Records under the current moniker, Switchfoot. Re:think went on to distribute the first three Switchfoot albums, The Legend of Chin, New Way to Be Human, and Learning to Breathe. Because Re:think was bought out by Christian giant Sparrow Records before Switchfoot’s first release, however, the band’s and Peacock’s intentions of being marketed outside of the Contemporary Christian music scene and reaching a wider audience were put on hold. Consequently, the band was mostly marketed to Christian radio and retail outlets early in their careers, a time Jon Foreman has described as when “half of who we were was lost.
However, these modern-day Beach Boys hit the ground running. The third studio album release Learning to Breathe received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album. Switchfoot was well on the way to major musical success. Later on in 2002, Switchfoot’s music was featured prominently in the movie A Walk to Remember, starring singer and actress Mandy Moore, who sang Switchfoot’s song “Only Hope” during a scene in the movie. In addition to Moore’s cover of “Only Hope”, Switchfoot’s songs “You”, “Learning to Breathe”, and “Dare You to Move” were showcased in the film, as well as their own original version of “Only Hope” towards the end of the film.
The band got the opportunity to show off some of that nifty musical footwork. Following the exposure that came from A Walk to Remember, Switchfoot attracted attention from multiple record labels, and ultimately signed with Columbia Records/Sony BMG. Their major label dĂ©but, The Beautiful Letdown, under Columbia Records/Red Ink, represented 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. The Beautiful Letdown has since been certified double platinum, selling more than 2.6 million copies, on the strength of constant touring and the huge mainstream radio hits “Meant to Live” and “Dare You to Move”. A live DVD depicting one of the band’s live concerts, Live in San Diego, went platinum as well, and a third single, “This Is Your Life” was released to radio. In addition, the song “Gone” received major airplay on Christian radio stations as well.
From this point forward Switchfoot continued doing the things they were supposed to do. They made good, hit music, recorded two more albums and toured extensively. During the Spring 2006 leg of the Nothing Is Sound Tour, the band introduced “a video diary of life on the road” in the form of free video podcasts available via iTunes and streaming online on YouTube. In addition to featuring snippets of upcoming songs and live performances, the videos gave fans an inside look at the more casual and humorous aspects of the band members’ touring lives, as well as featuring footage of the band working on their follow-up to Nothing Is Sound.
Later, on August 10, 2007, Jon Foreman revealed that the band had severed ties with Columbia Records in order to release music as an Indie band. “Neither party has any hard feelings,” he said of the split a few months later. “I think for us, the reason why we signed with Columbia was because of the people that were there. So it’s very understandable when all those people are gone, you don’t hold any real bad feelings or good feelings towards a company name. I think that’s part of the problem with the corporate entity as a whole is that there’s no true responsibility.” Later in October, the band announced that they had created a new record label called lowercase people records, in order to better make a direct connection with their fans.
Jon Foreman’s words are similar to musicians throughout the industry. I’ve heard a lot about record companies lack of attention toward some artists leading to bad feelings, and eventual parting of ways. The Switchfoot story sums up what really happens in any business. Things do change over a period of time.
Time has continued to bring more changes until recently, January 18, 2019 to be exact. Switchfoot released their eleventh studio album called Native Tongue on the Fantasy Records label. The band delivers with music that once again will move us to think. The lyrics are a poignant reminder, “Before we learn to hate. Love is our Native Tongue.”
“These are polarizing times, where the loudest voice is often the voice of anger or fear. This album is an attempt to sing that hope into life. To bring a group of diverse songs under one common banner. Hatred is not your native language. Love is your Native Tongue,” expressed Jon Foreman.
Beyond their career achievements, SWITCHFOOT has been active in a variety of philanthropic efforts, raising over two million dollars to aid kids in their community through the band’s own Bro-Am foundation and their annual Bro-Am Beach Fest, a benefit surf contest and concert that’s held every summer in Encinitas, CA. They’ve also maintained a deep commitment to a variety of humanitarian causes, lending their support to such worthy organizations as DATA, the ONE Campaign, Habitat for Humanity, Invisible Children, Food for the Hungry, CURE and To Write Love on Her Arms.
Later this week Switchfoot gets back to doing what they do best, touring. It all starts in Ashville, North Carolina and moves through the US and Canada. If they are coming near you an opportunity is there to witness musical history being made. Switchfoot shows have a reputation for being very entertaining. Speaking a common language with fans and potential fans. A Native Tongue.