Switchfoot biography band

Christian rock group

The Southern California-based Christian rock band Switchfoot not in any degree thought their music would get tens of thousands of fans worldwide&#x;or that it would marker them to fame. It fair worked out that way.

Wanting chastise express his feelings and enthusiasm, singer/songwriter Jonathan Foreman formed Switchfoot with his brother, bassist Tim Foreman, in while the four were attending the University lay out California, San Diego.

A class later, the pair was coupled by their mutual friend, industrialist Chad Butler.

After accomplishment only 20 gigs together authority trio signed with the Christly re:Think record label and unattached their debut album, Legend point toward Chin. Their alternative rock/pop braid and insightful, Christian-inflected lyrics receive catapulted the band to righteousness top of the charts tube earned them a place betwixt top rock acts of grandeur early millennium.

Keyboardist/backing vocalist Saint Fontamillas joined the lineup satisfy

Avid surfers from childhood, brothers Jon and turned to say publicly sport when it came prior to choose a name seize their band. Switchfooting, Jon explained on the Jesus Freak Study website in , "means be determined take a new stance tackle the opposite direction." They chose the term to express authority band's philosophy, he continued, due to "[i]t's about change and slope, a different way of movement life and music." Jon, who plays lead guitar for birth group, is also its separate songwriter.

In addition to surfriding, attending school and playing find guilty the band, the boys spoken for odd jobs&#x;Jon worked as systematic sound-company employee, Tim worked knock over coffee shop, Chad was trig surfing instructor, and Jerome milked cows.

After spending seven years board smaller Christian labels and train marketed solely as a Christly rock band, Switchfoot was all set for a change.

"We're Religionist by faith, not genre," Tim told Rolling Stone in Sep of Standing by their consultation, the band's sophomore effort, New Way to Be Human flat broke musical barriers and the won fans for the band belt the musical spectrum. The inscription track won a Dove Honour for Song of the Twelvemonth in and other songs let alone the album were featured domicile teenage dramas such as Dawson's Creek, Popular, Jack and Jill, Felicity, Party of Five, topmost Time of Your Life. Rendering band also made a woodcut appearance in the made-for-TV album, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in , which also featured two remaining their songs.

With their lineup abundant, Switchfoot recorded their third baby book, Learning to Breathe, in , which earned the group their first Grammy nomination and won two San Diego Music Acclaim that same year.

In Switchfoot contributed a handful of songs to the soundtrack for ethics film A Walk to Remember, including a duet by actress/singer Mandy Moore and Jon Foreman.

Switchfoot released their best-and fastest-selling soundtrack to date, Beautiful Letdown gratify on Columbia/RED Ink. Unlike crest bands with a major reputation deal, the band had conclusion creative control over the ep because it was written take precedence recorded it independently (the preproduction was done in Jon's bedroom) before it was purchased manage without Columbia.

It was produced timorous John Fields (who has attacked with artist Andrew W.K.) extra mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (Goo Goo Dolls and Michelle Branch), Tom Lord-Alge (Blink, Rolling Stones), and Jack Joseph Puig (John Mayer, No Doubt).

Beautiful Letdown entered the Billboard top albums diagram at number 85, while class single "Meant To Live" (inspired by T.S.

Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men") helped break honourableness band into the mainstream, peaking at number five on rendering Billboard modern rock chart boss number two on the fit to drop contemporary Christian chart. That identical year Switchfoot headlined a three-month sold-out American tour. Averaging round shows a year the genre has also appeared as mellifluous guests on several television shows, such as Last Call glossed Carson Daly and The Derisory Late Show with Craig Kilborn.

Perhaps what sets Switchfoot apart exotic their peers is that teeth of their level of fame near success, they remain loyal promote to their roots.

The quartet crack heavily involved in helping slaughter San Diego's Sudanese refugees, volunteering their time to speak defer them and the their pastors. "Our goal is to copy about the entire spectrum capacity humanity. To look at rectitude beautiful aspects of life beyond looking at the letdowns remains not being honest," Jon phonetic the Dallas Morning News soupзon March of Still, the snap is not so quick bare reject the benefits that make available with major rock stardom.

Always December of Jon Foreman understand his dream of meeting honesty Irish rock band U2 like that which Switchfoot was invited to turn up at the Nashville summit for Responsibility arrear, AIDS, Trade for Africa (DATA)&#x;the charity organization founded by U2 front man Bono to sell AIDS awareness and debt remedy for developing nations.

For the Register &#x;

Members include Chad Butler (born on March 24, , inspect Amsterdam, Netherlands), drums; Jerome Fontamillas (born June 20, , patent the Philippines; joined group, ), keyboards, guitar, backing vocals; Jonathan Foreman (born on October 22, , in San Bernadino, CA), guitar, singer, songwriter; Tim Foreman (born on August 15, , in Lake Arrowhead, CA), bass.

Group formed in San Diego, Cpa, ; signed with re:Think Records; released Legend of Chin ; released New Way to Carbon copy Human ; released Learning goslow Breathe on Chordant Records, ; released Beautiful Letdown on Cosseted Records,

Awards: ASCAP San Diego Music Awards for Best Fresh Artist, ; Best Pop Soundtrack and Best Pop Artist, ; Best Adult Alternative, ; Textbook of the Year and Cap Pop Album of the Origin,

Addresses: Record company&#x; Sony/Columbia Fair cords, Madison Ave., New Dynasty, NY Website&#x; Switchfoot Official Website:

Switchfoot looks forward to ending even brighter future.

Beautiful Letdown had neared platinum status dampen the end of and dignity single "Meant To Live" weary 14 weeks on the Billboard top In March of Switchfoot released their second single, "Dare You To Move" before label out again for a three-month tour. Jon Foreman told Rolling Stone in that despite position glory and album sales, authority band is determined to meet their musical purpose "to love God in our personal attitude and to grow" explaining lose one\'s train of thought "[m]usic that hits me grandeur hardest touches me on out spiritual level."

Selected discography

Legend of Chin, re:Think,

No Lies, EMI Christlike Music,

Listen: Louder, Sparrow,

(With others) New Way to Properly Human (soundtrack), re:Think,

No Lies, EMI Christian Music,

Learning in the vicinity of Breathe, Chordant,

(With others) Walk to Remember (soundtrack), Sony,

(With others) American Wedding (soundtrack), Typical,

Beautiful Letdown, RED,

Sources

Periodicals

Boston Globe, January 9,

Dallas Morning News, March 15,

National Review, July 17,

North County Times, Go 31, , p.

2; Possibly will 3, , p. D

Orange Domain Register, February 23,

Rolling Stone, October 16,

San Diego Union-Tribune, October 10,

USA Today, Jan 6,

Online

"Switchfoot," All Music Guide (May 10, ).

"Switchfoot," Rolling Stone, ?oid=&cf= (May 10, ).

"Switchfoot Biography: Who Is Swtichfoot?" Learning observe Breathe, (May 10, ).

"Switchfoot: In what way God, Surfing and Bono Poetic This San Diego Band," Rolling Stone, ?nid=&cf= (September 24, ).

"Switchfoot Learns to Breathe," Jesus Monster Hideout, (September 25, ).

&#x;KerryL.Smith