Switchfoot taps Darrell Thorp for the New Album

The mysterious Thor that has been spotted on the Switchfoot Studio Webcam in recent days has finally been revealed. "Thor" is actually the great music engineer Darrell Thorp, who has won a Grammy Award for "Best Engineered Album" for Radiohead's "Hail to the Thief" and an "Album of the Year"for his work with Outkast.

Check out his complete work here and look him up on Myspace.

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I'm especially excited now to see where this move will take the upcoming album. Thorp has also worked with Thom Yorke on his eccentric solo, non-Radiohead project. Outkast also has quirky, interesting music, so we'll see where Thorp will take Switchfoot. If it nets the band a Grammy, I'd be thrilled! Hey, who knows, right?

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SITE NEWS

Has been duly update on our 2008/2009 New Switchfoot Album Page. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's a comprehensive time line of what has happened so far in the production of this new record, from Demo sessions with Charlie Peacock to the current situation. If you'd like, check it out!

"Dare you to move, dare you to... buy a Suzuki...??"

Haha. Like that parody? Ok, ok, maybe not. But I'm pretty sure Suzuki would like you think that. Check out the new commercial that is taking the nation by storm.



It features Switchfoot's hit song, "Dare You to Move" while talking about their new car model. We've been getting reports. EVERYONE is starting to see this on TV. Awesome exposure for the song, even if it is kinda old. Goes to show how timeless it is... a classic.

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Here is a video of Jon Foreman playing "Southbound Train," courtesy of UGO.com



Go here to check out other performances, including "Somebody's Baby," "Your Love Is Strong," and "Learning How to Die."

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REVIEWS

Here are some new reviews. First, a Jon Foreman "Limbs and Branches" review from rockpapercity.

Next, a Switchfoot "The Best Yet" review:

Soul-Audio

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CHARTS

"Limbs and Branches" jumped up 4 spots today on the iTunes Overall Top Albums chart, moving up to No. 46.

"Broken From the Start" also jumped up to 45 on the iTunes Rock Top Songs chart.

Keep spreading the word footsoldiers! Make sure you embed the Jon Foreman widget too!

Andy Barron talks Fiction Family; Jon Foreman's "Limbs and Branches": The Day After

Our friend Jeanna from LOBH was on the webcam two days ago, and Andy Barron stopped by to chat with everyone. She posted what he said on the official Switchfoot message boards, and here's what was said:

The guys dropped in on the webcam chat a few times last night, but the best portion of the night was when Andy got on to talk and revealed some exciting new info!:
+ Fiction Family is working on a new music cover. We hear it's "legit."
+ Andy is working on a bunch of Fiction Family stuff right now, but after he's done "probably a new podcast or something will happen."
+ Andy is working on all the Fiction Family artwork for the CD.
+ Fiction Family is putting out a vinyl. YES! A VINYL!
+ The Fiction Family music video... According to Andy, "lets just say you might actually recognize some people in the video other than sean and jon." He also says we "won't have to search very hard."


STOKED MUCH!? I can't wait to hear this cd, see the artwork, and watch and promote the heck out of the music video! Ah, times are awesome!

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In Jon Foreman news, "Limbs and Branches" reached as high as no. 50 on the iTunes top albums overall chart yesterday and No. 7 on the iTunes Rock chart.

Also, the new song "Broken From the Start" has hit No. 77 on the iTunes Rock Singles chart, probably fueled by the people who bought all four EP's beforehand already. It's also the top Jon song on iTunes.

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Ok, so here are some reviews for "Limbs and Branches":

The flow of the album seems less like a shiny packaged project and more like a sonic scrapbook, snippets of thoughts and conversations and late-night musical experiments pasted together into a very revealing and personal montage that allow the listener to become more fully acquainted with the man behind Switchfoot’s voice.

(SOURCE)

Some others:
ihopeyourearsbleed.com
Michealfelker.com

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Snow Junkie is going to have a "Limbs and Branches" giveaway



We'll keep you posted!

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In other news, it appears that Credential/EMI CMG is indeed working "Your Love Is Strong" to radio in promotion of "Limbs and Branches." It was added on two CHR Format stations last month but nothing much else happened. But according to the official EMI promotion blog posted a few days ago:

Right now, we’re working “Your Love Is Strong” to radio…haven’t heard it? It’s an amazing paraphrase of Psalm 23…seriously, a powerful song!

Interesting... I'm guessing this is a CCM-only release, but we'll see what happens.

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And lastly, the official Jon Foreman website has been totally revamped! There's a montage of what I'm guessing is the inside artwork for "Limbs and Branches."



There's also a new widget that you can embed in many places. We've got ours! (see top of the blog site, if you haven't seen it yet. hehe) Check it out on the website and post it on Myspace, Facebook, etc.! Spread the word!

Jon Foreman - Limbs and Branches Release Day!

Happy release day everyone! It seems like just yesterday that Jon Foreman was set to release the first set of his planned seasonal EP series. "Fall" was one of those records that can hit you right where you're at. It certainly did that for me...

Now, a little less than a year later, Jono has released another record, this time in full LP form. "Limbs and Branches" caught us all by surprise when we first heard about it. At least on my part, I had questions about it, like: "Wait, a greatest hits album already?" or "We just got Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer... why the rush?" or "Curse you EMI, you money-lusting power-hungry buffoons!"

But, in typical Switchfoot fashion, Jon threw in a little twist, quieted all the rumors, and answered the questions with grace. The fans were able to vote for the songs on the setlist, and he tweaked the final list to create a tracklisting that is as universally encompassing as possible. The idea was to make it easier on casual listeners to join on this musical journey many of us have been on the past 12 months. Four EP's can definitely get confusing.

Sure, it's hard to capture the homegrown, organic feel of the four separate EP's in one long playing album, but "Limbs and Branches" is a solid compilation. The two "new guys" fit right in too... the new tunes "Broken From the Start" and "Over the River" round out a large, year-in-the-making journey that Jon Foreman has taken us on. 26 songs. 5 great releases. One amazing songwriter. Here's to Foreman and many more amazing songs!

Buy it now!

iTunes
Amazon
www.jonforeman.com

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Here are some reviews, some of the first ones for "Limbs and Branches"

Soul Audio

JFH

The Album Project

News from the Fiction Family MUSIC VIDEO front?; "This Is Home" to feature on a new Disney Compilation

YES! It is indeed true. A music video has been shot for the apparent lead single from Fiction Family's upcoming album, "When She's Near." Here's what Sean Watkins posted on the duo's myspace blog!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008


Video news from Sean

So last wednesday, we made a Fiction Family music video. It's for the song When She's Near. I wont say too much about it cause i dont want to spoil the plot and ruin it for you but i will say it involved me taped to and pushed around in a dolly and jon being carried around like some Biblical king in transit for hours on end. It also involved some very stealthy gorilla video shooting on the part of our director....oh and a pizza party at the end of the day! Not sure when it'll be done and up for you folks to see but in the meantime i'll put up some pics that our good buddy and photog took at the shoot. wheeeee! -sean

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Exciting news for sure. We'll see what happens with this. I have to imagine ATO Records will be able to secure good placing for the video.

But aside from that, I'm just excited to see it! This Fiction Family project is finally coming together! We've been waiting for awhile, and I have to say its great timing. Go Jon Foreman and Sean Watkins! The REAL SeanJon represent!

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In other news, Switchfoot's "This Is Home" will be featured in a brand new Disney compilation coming out November 25, 2008 called "Disney Box Office Hits." It will include the popular songs from Disney's latest hit movies. SOURCE



This should prove interesting. From what it looks like on the audio preview, it will be the Soundtrack version. So maybe very soon, iTunes will have both versions of the song (radio and soundtrack) available for single download? We can only hope, unless Disney pulls another fast one...

This could also explain why they're possibly shipping the song to radio once more? The timing is all coming together. "The Best Yet" November 4, "Disney Box Office Hits" November 25, and the "Prince Caspian" DVD in December. We shall see.... stay tuned friends! =)

Jon Foreman's birthday...

was yesterday. (October 22) I knew it, and was celebrating it... but forgot to post about it on my FREAKIN' Switchfoot blog. Sorry Jon Foreman... sorry... I didn't forget.

Well, the day after, here's to one of the greatest frontmen in music today.





Keep rockin' bro!

Join the Fiction Family Email list

The Fiction Family website has been updated with a new email list sign-up box. Join now to get updates from them! Perhaps we'll here about that rumored music video they were talking about the other night...

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Also, we have some more official confirmation about "This Is Home" second tour-de-mainstream-radio. According to triplearadio.com, it is indeed going up for adds once more, starting two days ago.

(click to enlarge photo)

Exciting much? We'll keep everyone posted on any movement on the Triple A Format by the song in the coming days. Awesome...

Jon Foreman Terrin Durfey Show recap last night

So last night, as many of you know, Jon Foreman played the benefit show for his childhood hero Terrin Durfey, who's fighting courageously with cancer. And, as many of you know also know, he brought the webcam along.

It was a great show, with many acts coming along to play and support Terrin. Molly Jensen, Sean Watkins, Years Around the Sun, A Fine Frenzy, Ryan Ferguson, and many several others played. Jon played the final set and it was an abbreviated one. He came on at about 11:00 pm, with Keith Tutt (as usual), and Mr. Watkins as well.

He started the set playing "Southbound Train," and played a few Fiction Family tunes with Watkins, including "When She's Near," and "War In My Blood." For the latter song, Foreman invited another childhood hero of his, Rob Machado onstage to play guitar. They then finished out the set playing Jon's "hit" from the Fall EP, "The Cure For Pain."

There was much support for Terrin Durfey throughout the night, with people coming up to the webcam and wishing all the best for him. It was like a great big family gathering to hang out and love on Durfey; kudos to Jon Foreman for setting this all up and for all the bands to come, and for all the audience members to attend at such short notice.

At one point, Jon said the goal was to raise a thousand bucks from the event for Terrin Durfey, but "you guys tripled that." Amazing.

Hope this story brightens your day, friends. =)


RUMOR: (or not-so-rumor). Last night, Jono was talking about a music video they just recently shot for Fiction Family. Something about birds singing...? Hmm... interesting...! ;)


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Here's a note from Jon on his myspace blog!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008


Benefit for Terrin Durfey

Thank you to ALL the amazing musicians who performed last night at the Belly Up, and to the community who came out to support our friend Terrin Durfey. Because of your efforts, we raised around $4,000 for Terrin and his family. Thanks so much to Mia and to everyone who was involved. This night meant a lot to me, and I know it meant a lot to Terrin. Last night reminded me of what an amazing community we truly have. We love you Terrin



peace,

jon

PS. Please check out the Pinback show for Terrin at the casbah this wednesday for more great music.

Jon Foreman Webcam show tonight!; Indie Vision Music interview

Announced during the webcam session today, Jon Foreman will be bring the webcam to the solo Terrin Durfey show tonight at the Belly Up. Source

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Indievisionmusic.com posted a new interview with Jon. It's mostly similar to what we've heard before, but interesting too.

What does a typical day look like in the life of Jon Foreman?

When I’m home I try to do the following at least once a day: record, write, surf, hang with my wife, read, and eat.

Most of our readers probably know about your seasons EPs, so you can briefly recap on that for those who don’t, and then we’ll go on to talk about your new release, Limbs and Branches.

The EP’s are titled Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. The music on each EP was recorded in season- Six songs a pop for a total of 24 songs to round out the year. On every EP my goal was to capture the sentiment of the season with production and lyrics that felt appropriate.

Do you think Limbs and Branches is a worthwhile purchase for those of us who already have all four EPs, or is it just an introduction to fans that are only finding your music now?

It’s the latter, an introduction. Limbs and Branches has two new songs that were not included on the previous EP’s. The rest of the songs were selected from the previous EPs.

Do the two new songs fit into any seasonal category, or are they more general?

I think “broken from the start” would fit on winter and “over the river” would be more of a summer tune- just my humble opinion.

In your opinion, which season turned out best? Why?

I’m not sure. I really need some distance to answer that. Fall felt very concise.

Do you find it easy to have your solo work presented fairly as Jon Foreman, or is it always talked about as “that guy from Switchfoot”?

Either way I suppose they’re telling the truth. We humans tend to talk a lot more than we listen… so as long as the music is heard, I could care less.

In general, the solo project seems to have some similarities with Switchfoot, but some things that are rather different. What role does faith play in each?

The EPs came out of a very dark time in my life- a lot of things in my life were dead or dying. So these songs were a true journey for me. The Messiah talked about how certain things have to die for true life to come about. I suppose this concept had a role to play in these EPs.

My friend is fighting cancer. And yet, he has incredible hope, joy, peace, and patience. Sometimes I wonder whether pain is the only way to learn these things. For the most part, I can’t imagine writing this song from any place other than pain.

Everyone has faith. Faith in something. Someone. Every act demonstrates some form of faith. Driving. Working. Having sex. Lack of faith is simply faith in something else. Even suicide is an act of faith. My faith is hard to sum up in a trite sound-bite. I struggle with my faith every day. Faith in a creator. Faith in a soul. Faith in a world that still has the promise of change. Faith in a redeemer who cares for the broken, the poor, and the marginalized. This faith influences my best actions. My struggle for faith is often on my mind so I write about it in my songs.

Tell us about Lowercase People.

Hmmm… Lowercase People is a long story that is yet to finish. It began as dream in South Africa. We met a group of singing kids called “the Kuyasa Kids” from Kayamundi near Stellenbosch, SA. These incredible kids had such hope. Such beauty. We wanted to support these children not out of pity but rather for the honor of being affiliated with these children. No, not out of pity because they had lost their parents to AIDs but because of their nobility, their strength, their beauty. So we recorded a record of these kids and printed CDs. They sold their own CDs. Their voices. Their beauty. Through this CD they funded their own education with their own voices

MLK Jr. said “Instead of seeking to do something with the African and Asian peoples, we have too often sought only to do something for them. An expression of pity devoid of genuine sympathy, leads to a new form of paternalism which no self respecting person can accept.” Lowercase People began as an attempt to make a beautiful CD with the Kuyasa kids.

Because we sing songs about beauty. Because beauty is attractive. Because truth is beautiful. We wanted to create a site where all of these collided. Unfortunately, the site really didn’t gain the traction that we thought it would. So after a season we realized that we could better direct our efforts by tying these efforts more directly with our touring. So the past three tours have raised money and support for Habitat for Humanity and TWLOHA. For now, we’ve started our own label lowercase people records to keep the dream alive while we support other folks. I still hope to do something with Lowercase People Justice Fund down the line.

On a similar note, what drew you personally to want to work so much with To Write Love on Her Arms?

I’ve known Jamie for many years. He has a great heart. I was honored to be there when he opened up his first box of TWLOHA shirts. I still believe in what he’s doing. I know from personal experience how necessary counseling can be. Getting these dark skeletons out in the open is the only way forward and TWLOHA is a great encouragement to younger folks to talk about these issues.

What are your next plans for Switchfoot after The Best Yet is released?

We’re tracking the next record in our studio in San Diego. It will come out on Lowercase People Records in the spring.

Do you think the solo project is done now that the seasons are done, or will you return to it with new ideas sometime in the near future? What does this have to say for the future of Switchfoot?

I’ll return to it someday, when the season is right. Before that happens I’m going to release a collaboration with Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek called Fiction Family. That’s coming out in January of 09. We’ll do a US tour around then as well.

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to talk with us. Would you like to say anything else to our readers?

Life is short, live it well,
Live for others- we rise and fall together…


SOURCE

Switchfoot's "This Is Home" going up for Re-Adds on Triple A Format Radio!

It appears "This Is Home" isn't done in the mainstream after all. After little success after initially impacting way back in April to Hot AC, Top 40, and Triple A mainstream radio, it appears someone is giving the song another go. ("someone" being either Walt Disney Records or Columbia/SonyBMG)

According to insideREVOLUTION, "This Is Home" is going up for adds on the mainstream Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) radio format. They got their source directly from R&R, the charts site affiliated to Billboard. So this is legit, folks.

"This Is Home" is getting another push. Could this be because "The Best Yet" is coming out in three weeks? Could Sony be pushing this single to radio in order to push more units of "The Best Yet?" Could Disney be behind this, helping along so that the "Prince Caspian" DVD, set for release in December, will start getting publicity?

We'll see, and will keep you posted right here on We're Awakening! Fingers certainly are crossed...

(thanks to Emily for the heads up.) =)

Jon Foreman to play a benefit show for Terrin Durfey at the Belly Up in San Diego

Good morning friends! (yes, it is 1:37 am as I write this and I am not sleeping. Mid-Terms will do that to ya... anywho...) I have to say Jon Foreman and the Switchfoot guys just can't stop helping people. It's like part of their nature. New on the Switchfoot.com homepage is a message from Jon about a benefit show for Terrin Durfey, a friend and hero of his. Read more:

Benefit for Terrin Durfey

Monday October 20, 2008
Belly Up Tavern
143 S. Cedros Ave
Solana Beach, CA 920757pm doors
7pm doors
8pm show
please click here to purchase tix: Click here
Please click here to see how you can help!


Note from Jon....

"When we were kids we all had our heroes: ball players, musicians, actors, and role models. Many of these childhood heroes fall from grace as we learn more about them. This is not the case with Terrin Durfey.

Terrin was a hero of mine in high school and still is a hero today. His music still is a huge inspiration. More recently his heroic fight against cancer has helped to remind me of the most important elements of life. His attitude throughout this battle has been such an encouragement to me to stay strong and stay positive.

I recently received the news that his cancer situation has become worse and is going downhill. The doctors can't seem to find a chemotherapy that will work and the oncologist just gave word that he's out of ideas. Terrin is not giving up though. He's staying positive, staying hopeful and looking for ways to carry on.

In thinking through his story I am reminded of how precious life is. There are so many aspects of this life that are out of my control. And yet, I cannot allow these circumstances to overshadow my own choices. So, inspired by Terrin's fight a few friends of mine and I have decided to throw a benefit concert/ party for Terrin Durfey.

The belly up is giving us a great deal, so after we pay them a small fee, we give the rest of the money to Terrin.

It's short notice but time is of the essence. Please come out and support an incredible example of life. San Diego is an incredible place filled with incredible folks. We all need each other. Let's support Terrin and his wife now in this dark time.

we'll have more musicians confirmed soon, stay tuned.

thanks,
jon

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If you live in the San Diego area, please consider going and helping out. Nothing like hearing great music from a guy who is a hero to many of us, while helping out a hero of his. It's a win-win situation. Thanks friends. Have a wonderful day.

Some wrapping up of the Music Builds Tour...

Andy Barron posted entries for two out of the last three shows of the Music Builds Tour on the daily foot. Check it out.

Minneapolis, Minnesota


(Holy crap, that's a lot of album covers...)

ANIMAL!

Kansas City, Missouri





I'm sure we'll hear about the last show on the schedule, Denver, CO, soon. But it's great to see the guys had fun on this tour, which ended last Sunday. There've been good critics, there have been bad ones, but Switchfoot continued to do what they do best: put on a good rock show. Love the lineup of this tour or hate it, it was largely a success. Endless kudos to Third Day, Jars of Clay, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and Switchfoot for their work in helping make the world a better place, for benefiting Habitat For Humanity.

Speaking of making the world a better place, here's a commercial that Jon Foreman did for the upcoming event called "The Stand" in the UK. It will be going down on November 8, 2008. Watch it to find out more about what's happening in the world, and what the Switchfoot boys will doing to help the problem.


Enough said.



Now that the bulk of the touring is over, the guys can finally put their full effort and energy into finishing what should be the "best record of our lives."

In December, they'll be playing a few dates with 3 Doors Down, likely their last real tour before the new record comes out. It will probably be the last time Switchfoot opens for anyone, hopefully for a very long time. There's lots to look forward to friends...

Here's to the future... here's to Switchfoot. Let the good times roll...

Jon Foreman photos at Catalyst Conference

A very talented photographer, Scott Fillmer, posted two of his amazing photos from the Catalyst Conference Jon Foreman played at recently. Check them out! Pretty intense. He's got some great work. Make sure you comment him!

"Switchfoot: No labels, please"...

For all those people who get confused about Switchfoot labels, please, please read this latest article form the Denver Post. Hope it helps. =)



Switchfoot: No labels, please
The San Diego band hopes listeners will look past the Christian rock and just lend an ear

Finding the right band name is of paramount importance to musicians. A moniker can draw curious listeners, but if it hits the wrong chord can turn off scores of people.

Just as crucial is being labeled, be it a hip-hop, rock, indie or rap band. These labels are why Switchfoot, at the Broomfield Event Center on Sunday, shuns the Christian rock tag.

"Christianity is faith, it's not a genre of music," said Switchfoot lead guitarist Drew Shirley. "We want to be music for all people. We've played campuses, bars, clubs. ... When you have this labeling, it closes the doors to our music, instead of people just listening to it to see if they like it.

"Yes, we all have a strong Christian faith," Shirley added. "It influences everything we do, and our view of the world. And as musicians, we write about what we are dealing with — our experiences, what we are going through."

Switchfoot got its name from the band members' surfing background and means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. The band scored new fans when its song, "This is Home" was featured on the "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" soundtrack.

"It was such an honor to be picked," Shirley said. "It opened so many doors."

But the band's success has not diminished its grassroots, "get your fingers dirty" work.

When Switchfoot ran out of T-shirts at a show in Texas, the members spent time in their hotel rooms making new schwag.

"We are a hands-on band. We like to get things done," Shirley explained. "Plus, we like to meet the people that we are around and involved with. And we are going to be an independent band in November. We're building our own studio. "

When the band goes into its own studio, it will take lessons learned from legendary producer Tim Palmer, who worked on Switchfoot's latest CD "Oh! Gravity." Palmer has worked with U2, Pearl Jam and the Cure, among others.

"It was amazing to work with Tim," Shirley said. "He worked on our songs like he was a member of the band. He believed in the music and worked as if it was his own. We learned so much from him."

And the biggest thing he learned from Palmer?

"He's such a humble man," Shirley said. "That really struck me, was how humble he was. I really loved working with him. Sometimes when you work with these big-name producers, they can be quite prideful."

Being big U2 fans, there was plenty of time to pick Palmer's brain on Bono and his religious convictions.

"It was really inspiring to hear these stories about U2," Shirley said. "We've had people compare us to them. They are a deep band with a unique perspective on the world and their philanthropy work."

Switchfoot signed on for the "Music Builds" Tour with Third Day, Jars of Clay and the Robert Randolph & the Family Band because of its association with Habitat for Humanity.

"This is such a great thing," Shirley said. "The money goes back into the communities and cities we play in. And you get to see people building houses. Instead of just leaving a city after we play, we are helping the people in those cities."

So if you are still reluctant to listen to Switchfoot, try this on: indie band Switchfoot. And as Shirley said, listen and decide for yourself.

I hope that clears things out. Have a great day!

Oh btw, check out the webcam blog for a recap of what took place in the studio yesterday.

Switchfoot Rocks Battleground Earth; Back in the studio!

Those who get the channel Planet Green and tuned in last night were able to witness a great performance by Switchfoot for the tv show Battleground Earth. Not only did they play "This Is Home" as originally reported, they played "Meant to Live" as well! Here is the youtube videos of the performances as uploaded by our very good friend, Jesse:



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Now that the Music Builds tour is finally over, the guys are back in the studio. They were in yesterday afternoon, and the Webcam blog has been updated. Check it out now!

Here's a small sampling:

-Tim, Chad, Jon and a new guy are in the studio today
-he has been helping with the instruments, wires, and has been on the computer. Fams decided upon a nickname Larryboy for him, we yet have to discover his name.
-Chad has been beasting it up on the drums
-we viewed the back of Chad’s head for a while, while he played the drums
-Jon went into the vocal booth, with his guitar, and put on his microphones, and for a while he was singing.
-After Jon set his guitar aside and, it appeared, as if he was recording vocals.

Thanks Jess for your awesome work! =)

Switchfoot Gets their own Countdown on Steelroots!

Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman, and Chad Butler recently did a show with the Steelroots Top 10 Countdown, who were honoring their music videography over the past few years by dedicating an entire countdown to the guys' videos. Check out the entire show here.

Really proud of the Switchfoot guys. Here's to conquering MTV and Vh1 again in the future! Hey, who knows right?

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In site news, we have a brand new affiliate called "Abundant Skies", and its an awesome graphics site run by our friend Brandon. We hope to see work by him in the near-future on our site and other goodies. Glad to have him as a friend.

To check it all out, go to Abundant Skies now! They do some really good work.

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We have no news of how the Battleground Earth performance was yet, although we have gotten reports from various places that Switchfoot not only played "This Is Home," but also rocked "Meant to Live" in their two-song set. Stay tuned for more news on that front!

300th Post: Featured Video: Switchfoot - Dirty Second Hands at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC

Dirty Second Hands in full glory. 'nuff said.

Wow, today marks our 300th post as a blog... I can't believe its been so long since we first started. It's been fun. Thanks for reading peeps. =) You all are awesome.

Switchfoot to perform "This Is Home" on Discovery Channel; "The Best Yet" available for Pre-order now

Welp, there's a new Switchfoot email, and "The Best Yet" standard and deluxe edition are available for individual pre-order now!

Standard Edition

Deluxe CD/DVD Edition



There was also an interesting tidbit in that email:

LIVE SWITCHFOOT PERFORMANCE ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL

Tune into the Discovery Channel and the show Battleground Earth this Sunday October 12th at 10pm EST/9pm Central to see them perform the hit song "This Is Home".

Tune in and set those tivo/DVR's!

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Also, Jon Foreman posted a new Blog

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

call and response

friends,

I have not been so disturbed, frustrated, angry in a long time... I could not get to sleep... My stomach was in knots all night... and I'd like to thank justin dillon for that. His movie "call and response" needs to be seen.

The movie deals with the plight of modern-day slaves, the scourge of the modern world. How can this be, post abolition human slavery in the US? This must be a mistake? Yes, something is indeed wrong but to our shame the mistake is not in the math- human trafficking is one of the most horribly lucrative crimes on the planet, today. Yes, Today. There are more slaves on the planet today than were taken from africa during the entire transatlantic slave trade from the 16th century to the 19th century. TODAY. The state department says this: "Annually, about 600,000 to 800,000 people, (mostly women and children) are trafficked across national borders which does not count millions trafficked within their own countries" "Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat: it deprives people of their human rights and freedoms, it is a global health risk, and it fuels the growth of organized crime."

Yes, human trafficking exists even on US soil. Today. Again the numbers are horrifying: It's cheaper to get a slave now than it was back before the civil war.

I'm sick to my stomach. Let us never be comfortable with these types of facts. Let us be frustrated, angry, disturbed. Please listen to the call- the call is honest and needs to be heard. The movie includes music from imogen heap, cold war kids, talib kweli, natasha bedingfield and many more.

"This hour in history needs a dedicated circle of transformed nonconformists. Our planet teeters on the brink... dangerous passions of pride, hatred, and selfishness are enthroned in our lives; truth lies prostrate on the rugged hills of nameless calvaries; and men do reverence before false gods of nationalism and materialism. The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority."

Martin Luther King Jr.

Do not conform. Along with MLK Jr. I confess that I never intend to become adjusted to the evils of "economic conditions that deprive men of work and food and to the insanities of militarism and the self defeating effects of physical violence."

be maladjusted, respond.
jon


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go here for more info
http://www.callandresponse.com/
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/33109.htm

What a tragedy. Let's take action!

Fiction Family Releases Studio Version of "When She's Near"

Fiction Family posted the studio version of their song "When She's Near" on their myspace page. At last! So to give it a listen, go here, or just visit their Myspace page.

It is pretty darn catchy. I wonder if this is going to be the lead single from the record, which will be self-titled.

I have to say I'm stoked and dying to hear what the final version of "Betrayal" will sound like. This project is beginning to come together, and I thought it'd be fun to look back and read how this collaboration came together. Here's the description that Jon Foreman first posted on the duo's myspace when they used to be "The Real SeanJon."

Hey amigos,

Welcome to Fiction Family! It's just Sean Watkins and myself, (jon foreman).

Though we both grew up in north county, the first time we met each other was only a few years back when our two respective bands played our first gig together. (Sean plays in a band called Nickel Creek and I play in a band called Switchfoot) To this day it was one of my favorite bills that I've ever been on: Nickel Creek, Switchfoot, Wilco, and REM... A few years later we ended up running into each other at a coffee shop up in Leucadia. We talked about writing a tune together (as everyone always does), and actually did, (which rarely happens!).

We called the song Betrayal.

Like many of the tunes on the record, Betrayal was recorded and written in parts. Because Nickel Creek and Switchfoot are both hard working touring acts, we were rarely home from tour at the same time. Consequently the tracks were passed back and forth between Sean and I. Whoever was home from tour would chip away at the songs with no real expectations at all, mainly just for ourselves and for the love of the song I suppose.

We came up with a few cowboy rules for the project: "No double tracking. No pussyfooting. No tuning of vocals." etc... With very few exceptions, every note was written, arranged, played, recorded, mixed, and mastered by sean and myself. This was not in an effort to keep anyone out, it was just the way it worked out- two musicians working on their own out of their own rudimentary home studios.

With this as our framework, we wanted to maintain a fairly organic landscape of sound. Even the programming on the record is derived from basic samples that we created ourselves. To me, when I listen to the songs I can close my eyes and picture the North County. Everything on this record was done within a few miles away from the coffee shop where this whole thing began.

Over the course of a few months the songs began to take shape. The three turned into six or seven. Pretty soon, with no real effort at all we had somewhat of an ep! We decided to track a few more songs and go all the way with this thing. So now, a year and a half later, we've got a full length record. A real record that we're really proud of.

We're going to call it fiction family.

Hope you dig it!
jon foreman

awesome!

New Switchfoot Holiday Packages! New Tour Dates! News News News!

First off, welcome back! Sorry there were no updates over the weekend and yesterday. Been kinda busy. But glad to be back!

So anyways, looks there was new merch posted over the weekend, including the 2008 Edition of the annual Holiday Package! And boy, this year is packed full of goodies.

The Holiday Package, which ships Oct. 31 for early November delivery, includes:

* The Best Yet - Deluxe Edition CD/DVD
* New Poster
* Choice of T- shirt (or hoodie depending on which package you choose) - lots of new designs to choose from!
* Christmas Card - hand-signed by the band!
* Unreleased Switchfoot B-side "We Are Bound" - instant download at checkout!
* Unreleased Jon Foreman Solo song: (Live from Hotel Cafe) - instant download on shipdate!

For prices and the other details, and to ORDER one of the three options for the package, go here. It's definitely an awesome pack this year.

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And it looks like there will be a few tour dates in December, according to the Tour page of switchfoot.com
Switchfoot will be touring with fellow alternative rock mainstays 3 Doors Down for this one, and they'll be one of the opening bands once more. Let's hope this will be their LAST opening-band stint for a LONG time because their next album is going to rule. It IS pretty awesome though, that the band is touring with some Mainstream acts for once... it's about time they returned to some semblance of more widespread exposure.

Here are the dates:

*12/04/08 Orange Beach, AL / The Amphitheater at the Wharf (LINK)
*12/09/08 Pikesville, KY / Eastern KY Expo Center (LINK)
*12/12/08 Charlotte, NC / Cricket Arena (On Sale Oct 18th)
*12/13/08 Hampton, VA / Hampton Coliseum (On Sale Oct 18th)
*12/17/08 Greensboro, NC / Greensboro Coliseum (On Sale Oct 18th)
12/18/08 Fairfax, VA / Patriot Center (On Sale Oct 18th)
*12/20/08 Duluth, GA / Gwinnet Arena (On Sale Oct 24th)

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Some more Music Builds Daily Foot entries have arrived. Check em!

Chula Vista, California
Sacramento, California
Dallas, Texas
Houston, Texas

Fiction Family Tracklisting Announced on Spin.com!

(Thanks playingforkeeps! from the official message boards.)

Call it Pop-Grass: Fiction Family is a new cross-genre collaboration between religious power-pop rock band Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and bluegrass-tinged acoustic act Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins.

The project's self-titled debut album, written and recorded by Watkins and Foreman at their homes in San Diego, is set to arrive via ATO Records January 20. The two musicians, who met when their bands shared a bill a few years ago, trade lead vocals on the new set, which also features an eclectic array of instrumentation, including baritone ukulele, piano, organ, mandolin, and steel guitar. Nickel Creek fiddle player Sara Watkins adds her expertise to a few tracks.

"The album was recorded and written in parts," Foreman tells SPIN.com. "Because Nickel Creek and Switchfoot are both hard working, touring acts, we were rarely home from tour at the same time. Consequently the tracks were passed back and forth between Sean and I. Whoever was home from tour would chip away at the songs with no real expectations at all, mainly just for ourselves and for the love of the song I suppose. We came up with a few cowboy rules for the project: No double tracking. No pussyfooting. No tuning of vocals."

Fiction Family tracklisting:
1. "When She’s Near"
2. "Out of Order"
3. "Not Sure"
4. "Betrayal"
5. "Elements Combined"
6. "War in My Blood"
7. "Throw It Away"
8. "Closer Than You Think"
9. "Please Don’t Call It Love"
10. "Mostly"
11. "We Ride"
12. "Look For My Baby"

SOURCE

UPDATE (1:52 PM): the myspace has been updated!

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I'm excited for this. Needless to say, this has been a record that has been highly-anticipated since we first heard about Fiction Family's previous incarnation, The Real SeanJon

the return of the podcast: Switchfoot Podcast 36!

'nuff said. Download it on itunes, or watch it right here!

Jon Foreman to Release Full EP Collection in VINYL

Jon Foreman VINYL is here!

The limited edition Jon Foreman vinyl box set is now available to order. It contains four 12" marbled high quality vinyl records (fall, winter, spring, summer) and a beautiful four page book-style cover featuring a few of Andy Barron's best shots of Jon over the years. Each box set is numbered 1-500 (we're only making 500 of these marbled guys!), and every set is signed by Jon Foreman.

THE FIRST 100 ORDERS WILL RECEIVE A HANDMADE CANVAS WALL HANGING. (while supplies last)

Click here to order.

In addition, we will provide high quality MP3's of 26 Jon Foreman tunes, plus 2 extra unreleased songs: "Broken From the Start" and "Over the River"

A Note from Jon:

"hey record players, Vinyl has been a dream of mine ever since I stole my parents record player back in the day. Since this project sounded like it was meant for vinyl from the start I decided to splurge: marbled vinyl and all. Andy Baron did the artwork, using photos he took from some of the late night shows from around the world. If you're trying to keep one foot in the digital age all the songs from all four seasons (plus two new songs) are included as MP3s for your Ipod. So I hope you dig it! If you like to drop the needle down from time to time this is a collection that I think you'll enjoy for a long time".

peace,
jon


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At $55, this is a hefty product to come from the Foreman camp. I personally am seriously considering it, but also know that if I do shell out the cash for this, I will be officially broke.

What do you all think? Is this worth the price? And for those collectors out there, there will also be "The Best Yet" and "Limbs and Branches" too. Decisions decisions.

Thoughts about the monetary side of things aside, I do have to say this is a brilliant, awesome thing that Jon Foreman is doing for the fans. The solo ep's truly are epic works of art, and to "vinylize" them is only appropriate. For those who are able to get it, I'm sure you will be receiving pieces of art that will endure for a long, long time.

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In other news, Andy Barron is working on the next, highly-awaited-and-anticipated Switchfoot Podcast! Mr. Barron is the man!