Switchfoot band biography books
Switchfoot
Christian rock group
The Southern California-based Christian rock band Switchfoot not at any time thought their music would go tens of thousands of fans worldwide—or that it would dial them to fame. It quarrelsome worked out that way.
Wanting border on express his feelings and loyalty, singer/songwriter Jonathan Foreman formed Switchfoot with his brother, bassist Tim Foreman, in 1996 while excellence two were attending the Hospital of California, San Diego.
Keen year later, the pair was joined by their mutual crony, drummer Chad Butler. After live only 20 gigs together illustriousness trio signed with the Religionist re:Think record label and unbound their debut album, Legend garbage Chin. Their alternative rock/pop intermingle and insightful, Christian-inflected lyrics scheme catapulted the band to prestige top of the charts dispatch earned them a place mid top rock acts of grandeur early millennium.
Keyboardist/backing vocalist Theologist Fontamillas joined the lineup guess 2000.
Avid surfers from childhood, brothers Jon and turned to influence sport when it came lifetime to choose a name lease their band. Switchfooting, Jon explained on the Jesus Freak Study website in 2000, "means touch on take a new stance corresponding the opposite direction." They chose the term to express description band's philosophy, he continued, on account of "[i]t's about change and drive, a different way of awaited life and music." Jon, who plays lead guitar for high-mindedness group, is also its only songwriter.
In addition to surfboarding, attending school and playing provide the band, the boys retained odd jobs—Jon worked as unadorned sound-company employee, Tim worked shore coffee shop, Chad was calligraphic surfing instructor, and Jerome milked cows.
After spending seven years evaluate smaller Christian labels and beingness marketed solely as a Christianly rock band, Switchfoot was shape up for a change.
"We're Religionist by faith, not genre," Tim told Rolling Stone in Sept of 2003. Standing by their word, the band's sophomore strain, New Way to Be Human broke musical barriers and illustriousness won fans for the troupe across the musical spectrum. Say publicly title track won a Bird Award for Song of glory Year in 1999 and further songs from the album were featured on teenage dramas much as Dawson's Creek, Popular, Banner and Jill, Felicity, Party become aware of Five, and Time of Your Life. The band also energetic a cameo appearance in rank made-for-TV film, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in 2001, which also featured two of their songs.
With their lineup complete, Switchfoot recorded their third album, Learning to Breathe, in 2000, which earned rank group their first Grammy berth and won two San Diego Music Awards that same era.
In 2002 Switchfoot contributed dinky handful of songs to authority soundtrack for the film A Walk to Remember, including clever duet by actress/singer Mandy Thespian and Jon Foreman.
Switchfoot released their best-and fastest-selling album to traditional, Beautiful Letdown in 2003 heftiness Columbia/RED Ink.
Unlike most bands with a major label give the impression, the band had complete resourceful control over the album now it was written and filmed it independently (the preproduction was done in Jon's bedroom) at one time it was purchased by Town. It was produced by Gents Fields (who has worked line artist Andrew W.K.) and half-bred by Chris Lord-Alge (Goo Bleed Dolls and Michelle Branch), Turkey Lord-Alge (Blink-182, Rolling Stones), current Jack Joseph Puig (John Filmmaker, No Doubt).
Beautiful Letdown entered decency Billboard top 200 albums arrange at number 85, while decency single "Meant To Live" (inspired by T.S.
Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men") helped break authority band into the mainstream, peaking at number five on loftiness Billboard modern rock chart concentrate on number two on the summit contemporary Christian chart. That assign year Switchfoot headlined a three-month sold-out American tour. Averaging approach 150 shows a year nobleness group has also appeared although musical guests on several clasp shows, such as Last Footing with Carson Daly and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.
Perhaps what sets Switchfoot hew from their peers is deviate despite their level of make shy and success, they remain steadfast to their roots.
The composition is heavily involved in segment with San Diego's Sudanese refugees, volunteering their time to address with them and the their pastors. "Our goal is fit in write about the entire scale of humanity. To look look down at the beautiful aspects of discernment without looking at the letdowns is not being honest," Jon told the Dallas Morning News in March of 2003.
Attain, the band is not deadpan quick to reject the small that come with major tremble stardom. In December of 2003 Jon Foreman realized his abstraction of meeting the Irish quake band U2 when Switchfoot was invited to attend the Nashville summit for Debt, AIDS, Commerce for Africa (DATA)—the charity ancestral founded by U2 front fellow Bono to promote AIDS comprehension and debt relief for nonindustrial nations.
For the Record …
Members protract Chad Butler (born on Tread 24, 1974, in Amsterdam, Netherlands), drums; Jerome Fontamillas (born June 20, 1970, in the Philippines; joined group, 2000), keyboards, bass, backing vocals; Jonathan Foreman (born on October 22, 976, remove San Bernadino, CA), guitar, vocalist, songwriter; Tim Foreman (born shady August 15, 1978, in Power point Arrowhead, CA), bass.
Group formed grip San Diego, CA, 1996; autographed with re:Think Records; released Legend of Chin 1997; released New Way to Be Human 1999; released Learning to Breathe falsify Chordant Records, 2000; released Beautiful Letdown on RED Records, 2003.
Awards: ASCAP San Diego Music Credit for Best New Artist, 1997; Best Pop Album and Pre-eminent Pop Artist, 2001; Best Man Alternative, 2002; Album of goodness Year and Best Pop Medium of the Year, 2003.
Addresses: Record company— Sony/Columbia Re cords, 550 Madison Ave., New York, Fair 10022-3211.
Website— Switchfoot Official Website: http://www.switchfoot.com.
Switchfoot looks forward to unadorned even brighter future. Beautiful Letdown had neared platinum status insensitive to the end of 2003 allow the single "Meant To Live" spent 14 weeks on primacy Billboard top 40. In Strut of 2004 Switchfoot released their second single, "Dare You Capable Move" before heading out afresh for a three-month tour.
Jon Foreman told Rolling Stone revere 2003 that despite the government and album sales, the company is determined to fulfill their musical purpose "to glorify Spirit in our personal ways station to grow" explaining that "[m]usic that hits me the hardest touches me on a metaphysical level."
Selected discography
Legend of Chin, re:Think, 1997.
No Lies, EMI Christian Meeting, 1997.
Listen: Louder, Sparrow, 1999.
(With others) New Way to Be Human (soundtrack), re:Think, 1999.
No Lies, EMI Christian Music, 1999.
Learning to Breathe, Chordant, 2000.
(With others) Walk fasten Remember (soundtrack), Sony, 2002.
(With others) American Wedding (soundtrack), Universal, 2003.
Beautiful Letdown, RED, 2003.
Sources
Periodicals
Boston Globe, Jan 9, 2004.
Dallas Morning News, Walk 15, 2003.
National Review, July 17, 2003.
North County Times, March 31, 2001, p.
2; May 3, 2003, p. D04.
Orange County Register, February 23, 2003.
Rolling Stone, Oct 16, 2003.
San Diego Union-Tribune, Oct 10, 2001.
USA Today, January 6, 2004.
Online
"Switchfoot," All Music Guide http://www.allmusic.com/ (May 10, 2004).
"Switchfoot," Rolling Stone, http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=2976&cf=2976 (May 10, 2004).
"Switchfoot Biography: Who Is Swtichfoot?" Learning expect Breathe, http://learning2breathe.homestead.com/sfbio.html (May 10, 2004).
"Switchfoot: How God, Surfing and Bono Inspired This San Diego Band," Rolling Stone, http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=18717&cf=2976 (September 24, 2003).
"Switchfoot Learns to Breathe," Noble Freak Hideout, http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/interviews/Switchfoot.asp (September 25, 2000).
—KerryL.Smith
Contemporary Musicians