FootColumn: A Call to Arms from Bleah

Editor's Note: This is a FootColumn/message from Bleah, one of our resident writers. Take some time to read this; her dedication and passion to share and spread the music of Switchfoot is inspiring to me as a fellow fan. I am encouraged as I read this. But conversation can't be one-sided; comment below if you read this! Let's encourage each other, Footsoldiers! Let's do this! So without further ado, here's Bleah.

- Job

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Well this is pretty much my attempt towards some sort of pep talk.

Now I will admit that I have not always been the best at, or faithful in, my advertising of Switchfoot. I'm not proud of it, but I haven't always been very good at it. Sure whenever Job would tell us to, I would go and request the songs a few times, but then I probably wouldn't touch it again for a week or so until he asked us to again. But in the last month or so I have had more time on my hands thanks to the holidays and so I've been doing a little more...I don't know what the correct word would be other then advertising, as I said before. I have been requesting "Mess Of Me" and I put a couple of the "Hello Hurricane" and Switchfoot banners up on my own personal blog.

So a couple weeks ago, I got some major feedback thanks to the banners. People putting them up on their own sites, people saying they would help out in requesting the band and this new album (which is amazing by the way. I finally got my own copy). But I also got people who had either never heard of Switchfoot or had heard of them but just never got into the music, never got far enough to become as obsessed and attached as some of us have become. So I have kinda gotten on this roll per say. I LOVE telling as many people as possible about the band, and the album. I've got it posted on my blog all the time, spreading the music around, giving my friends copies of the album, listening to it all the time, especially when I am around people. I even have Switchfoot information on my e-mail signature.

There are simple and easy things you can do to help promote this band. Things that aren't going to stop your day, cramp your style, or slow you down. And really, when you think about it, who are we as fans if we can't even go the extra mile to make sure this band gets what they need to succeed? We are their lifeline in a sense. What we do for them, to promote them, to in essence, support them, is what will bring them further. They can produce and release music all day long. They can go on tours all over the world 24/7, but without fans to bring friends to concerts, to buy and share CD's, and without our help as the supposedly loyal followers of the foot, then its no good and useless. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I'm surley not trying to guilt trip you in any way. I'm simply telling you what I feel is true. I would be ashamed to call myself a fan and know that the very band I supposedly was a fan of went under because I wouldn't step up to plate.

Now I'm not saying that the band will go south, will not succeed. What I'm saying is if we want them to keep topping charts, doing amazing, being as successful as they deserve to be, then we have to get, and keep, the ball rolling. And the bigger the ball gets the more people we will need to support it.



Okay, as I slowly step off my soap box I just want to encourage you one more time to go to your local radio stations, go to the main radio stations and request; respectfully text, e-mail, call on the phone. If I'm correct, we're mainly focusing on the Alternative and Active Rock type radio stations. But whatever you can do, I'm sure would be appreciated. Take the banner we have at the top of the page. Put it on your myspace, facebook, twitter, blogs. Whatever. Print it out and stick it on your binder for school. Whatever you have to do to make sure it gets seen. Paste it to your signature on your e-mail. Just do everything you can to get this out there.

They need us, and I don't know about you but I personally need them. Their music has added so much to my life. And I don't know where I would be without this band. I know overly dramatic, whatever. But I mean it. I love Switchfoot and all the guys who put it together and make it possible.



I'm ready to make up for lost time and be the fan I was meant to be. But I can't do this alone. We need your help. They need your help.



-Bleah Briann