Jon Foreman posted a blog Tuesday marking the end of a project...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
the end of the project.
yeah!
everybody, how are you? I am doing strong to quite strong. We just finished up laying the foundation for a few new tunes for the new foot record last night- and now, after a quick surf session I'll be ready to get on a plane a play a couple shows back east...
today, however, marks a milestone for me. Today, june 24th, marks the completion of a project I began about a year ago- the seasonal EP's are now out in stores! 24 songs later, I'm grateful to look back and listen to the last year of my life through this project. It came out better than I could have imagined.
Today my wife and I went down to Lou's, (my local record store) and bought a copy, (a tradition we have) and I started thinking about back when I was in high school. I used to bring my band's CDs to Lou to sell on consignment. And now music has taken me places. I am so thankful to be able to sing these songs. These are simple songs, but they're mine. There's blood and joy and anger and laughter in them. My reasons for living. My hopes and fears. And pain. These are my fight songs.
So thanks for fighting alongside of me. Thanks to everyone who's been involved and encouraging along the way. These four EP's turned out to be a much bigger project than I thought they would be- I hope they can serve you well. I hope they take you places.
jon
~sigh~ what a great four ep's it's been. I'm still waiting for Target or Best Buy to bring in the hard copies of "Spring and Summer." There seems to be a delay in the stores getting. Anyone else have those problems?
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Erie Times-News posted a nice little story on Switchfoot, their affiliation with the surfing term "switchfoot" (we all know that of course), and their flirtation with "near stardom." The full article can be found below:
When you Google "Switchfoot," more than 4 million hits are recorded. That seems like an impressive number for this accomplished San Diego alternative-rock band.
That number is also somewhat deceiving. Switchfoot is also a popular surfing term. Which makes sense, considering Switchfoot band members remain deeply immersed in San Diego's iconic surfing lifestyle.
"Surfing has contributed heavily to what we are as a rock band," said Tim Foreman, bassist and younger brother of Switchfoot vocalist and songwriter, Jon Foreman. "Surfing culture is all about a cool, relaxed lifestyle. That has influenced our music and our approach to how we grow as a band."
Switchfoot's career roller coaster has raced from an early flirtation with Christian rock to near stardom after the band's 2003 major-label debut album, "The Beautiful Letdown," sold more than 2.6 million copies.
If it's possible for a rock band to remain relatively unknown after a double-platinum seller, Switchfoot has managed the trick. Which is hard to fathom since the band made its mainstream mark in a 2002 Mandy Moore movie vehicle, "A Walk to Remember."
That film featured four Switchfoot songs, including Moore singing the band's "Only Hope," plus a duet with Jon Foreman on the soundtrack.
Now the band has recorded a new song, "This Is Home," for the film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian." The song is included on the film's soundtrack and was released to radio stations in April.
Yet Switchfoot remains the sort of near-anonymous band that even if you never heard of them, it's a safe bet that tunes like "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move" will jolt the memory bank when you hear them.
Foreman, who Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia reports graduated from San Dieguito Academy in 1997 with the title of "scholar athlete" for his high achievements in surfing and education, previewed Friday's Chautauqua Institution show.
Surfing has definitely influenced our approach to performing," said Foreman, who sounded like a surfer during a telephone interview. "We approach every night's show as a new experience and simply embrace what happens. If my bass goes dead, is that a good or a bad thing? I don't know. We'll have to see."
What you're likely to see Friday is an energetic show by a band that relishes being on stage. Besides the Foreman brothers, drummer Chad Butler and guitarists Jerome Fontamillas and Drew Shirley are at heart southern California surfers who just want to have fun.
The Switchfoot sound should ring a bell. Listening to the band's most recent album, "Oh! Gravity," a steady melodic sound is pushed along by hard-hitting guitar riffs. The album earned solid reviews and entered the Billboard charts in the Top 20.
But you get the feeling from Foreman that critical and commercial success is basically gravy for five guys who really don't care to leave San Diego's beaches all that often.
"Having 'rock musician' as your occupation is just ridiculous. Think about it," Foreman said. "We like to get out of San Diego and experience different things. But we all love what we do and understand how lucky we are."
Let's see: Surfing, San Diego, rock musicians. That's pretty sweet. And that's Switchfoot.
The skinny
Switchfoot will appear Friday at 8:15 p.m. at the Chautauqua Institution's Amphitheater in Chautauqua, N.Y. Tickets are $37 and are available at the box office, (716) 357-6250, Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and online at www.ciweb.org.
Yeah, "The Beautiful Letdown" got Switchfoot this close ~does thing with fingers to symbolize nearness~ to really being a fixture in the mainstream music scene. If not for the Sony/DRM fiasco with "Nothing Is Sound," and the utter lack of promotion from Columbia after that, I really believe Switchfoot would be up there with the Linkin Parks and Coldplays of the world... alas, that's why we have to keep spreading the word about Switchfoot, Fams!!
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Keep voting for "This Is Home" on Radio Disney and VH1!
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CHARTS
"This Is Home"
Hot AC: 67 with 70 spins this week
Christian CHR: 14 with 513 spins (+63 from last week) this week
Christian AC: 26 with 270 spins this week
New Station Adds: KAMX Austin Texas (Hot AC)
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