Hangin’ Out With Switchfoot - Focus on the Family Africa

Hangin’ Out With Switchfoot

A unique blend of surf-rock guitars, introspective lyrics, catchy melodies—there’s no mistaking these San Diego musicians. But Switchfoot’s art does more than entertain. It actually transforms.

by Jonathan Bartha

ARTFUL MISSION

Within the last year Switchfoot has tried to narrow the focus of what they are all about. In their effort to make relevant music with a message, they have come up with two principles to define their art.

REVOLUTION OF BEING
“The revolution of being is a change that starts within and affects the way you act toward others,” Jon says. It’s something the band knows they can’t do on their own. “Jesus Christ’s mercy and power indwells us and gives us the strength to make a positive difference.”

As the group pondered this concept, Jon began to realize the impact other musicians have had on him. “All the music that has affected me—whether it be by U2, Bob Dylan or whoever—has touched me deeply. It’s changed me from the inside out. Music has that ability to touch you where many things can’t. Our hope is to do the same through our songs, to be a part of the revolution of being that’s been going on since Jesus Christ walked this earth.”

BE SALT AND LIGHT
In Matthew 5:13-14 Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth,” and “You are the light of the world.” So what does this mean for a Christian and how does Switchfoot make this part of their mission statement? “Light is something that the darkness cannot understand,” Jon explains. “There are some dark things in my world that I want to see lit up. That’s the challenge we’ve made to ourselves.”

Illuminating involves taking light to a place that is dark. For Switchfoot this translates to sharing the gospel through their music with non-Christians. The band’s desire is to be salt and light to all regardless of who its fans are or what their backgrounds are.

“Hey man, nice T-shirt!”

“Thanks,” I answer before I recognize who I’m talking to. Then it hits me: It’s Jerome Fontamillas, former bass player of my favorite 90’s band, Fold Zandura, and Switchfoot’s new guitarist and most inconspicuous member. “I bet you don’t see too many of these Fold Zandura shirts around anymore.”

“No, I don’t,” Jerome says. “Are you here for the show tonight?”

“Yes. Actually, I’m here to interview you and the rest of the group for Breakaway!”

“Cool. I’ll see you downstairs in a little while then,” Jerome says as the elevator door closes.

A few minutes later I’m in the basement of 32 Bleu, a nifty little club in Colorado Springs, getting better acquainted with Jerome and the rest of Switchfoot: lead singer/guitarist Jon Foreman, bassist Tim Foreman and drummer Chad Butler. Over the last few years, these modern rockers from San Diego have been busy showcasing their unique blend of surf-rock guitars, introspective lyrics, and catchy melodies to audiences everywhere. Not only have their tunes been nominated for Grammy and Dove awards, but their music has been featured in the movie A Walk to Remember and utilized in numerous TV shows.

Pull up a chair and listen in on our discussion of faith, culture and the band’s latest album, The Beautiful Letdown.

Breakaway: The Beautiful Letdown is about the concept of entropy. Please explain this.

Jon: Entropy is one of the laws of thermodynamics. It’s a physical law that says everything in nature is moving from order to disorder. In our lives this same principle is at work. As time moves on, things break down as we make mistakes. This is the “letdown” every person experiences because of sin. For Christians this concept doesn’t end there because we realize God’s “beautiful” mercy and grace restores the order in our lives.

Chad: The “beautiful letdown” is a point when you come to the bottom of yourself. It may happen through a catastrophe or through hope that has gone astray. You arrive at this realization when you understand that what you’ve been trusting in no longer holds water and that there is a different purpose for your life. When this happens, your heart starts beating to a different drum and you begin building your life on a new foundation.

The song “Adding to the Noise” encourages people to stop listening to your music if you aren’t saying anything meaningful. What is the point you are trying to make with this song?

Chad: The best-selling CD last year was the CD-R, a blank CD. In a way, this is an example of how tired society has grown of hearing songs with no purpose. Some musicians have a lot to say about nothing, and you’re left with nothing to listen to unless you turn off the radio. We don’t want to be a band that adds to this problem.

Switchfoot has had some opportunities to aid Sudanese refugees. Tell us about this.

Jon: Through my involvement with a Christmas outreach a few years ago, I became aware of some Sudanese refugees known as the Lost Boys in the San Diego area. We’ve done a benefit concert for them and try to do various things to help them whenever we’re home. The band’s dream is to record an album and give all the proceeds to them. It’s been hard for these refugees; the price of living is so high in San Diego that many of them have to move to other parts of the country.

BEACHES, BOARDS AND BRAINS!

When Breakaway’s art director Tom Hook found out that Jon, Tim, Jerome, and Chad were bookworms, he just had to know what tomes (that’s a fancy word for “good books”) they were currently reading. Interested? Read on.

Tim: I just finished reading a physics textbook. It’s fascinating! When you read about the way our universe is constructed and how it’s held together in this intricate and elegant balance, it’s impossible not to see the design behind it. The book wasn’t written by a Christian, but you almost feel like it was. I thought it was amazing because the author is searching for truth through this beautifully woven tapestry of the universe.

(Note: Tim is currently working on his undergraduate degree in computer science and music. We’re not quite sure how a physics book fits into his major—must have just been some light reading!)

Jerome: A book by 19th-century Christian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard called Provocations. It’s about how to keep your relationship with God from becoming stale.

Chad: Being the only parent of the group, it’s funny that I’m doing an interview with Breakaway and Focus on the Family because I’m reading two of Dr. Dobson’s books on raising children: Bringing up Boys and The New Dare to Discipline.

Jon: I’ve been trying to focus on reading the New Testament.

How can teens build relationships with refugees or people in need?

Jerome: It depends on where God calls you and what your spiritual gifts are. My parents go on missions trips to teach health classes because they’re educators. They help people with the expertise God has given them. You may not be able to teach a health class, but maybe you have musical abilities or some other talent. The bottom line is to get involved. Each young person needs to figure out how to use his gifts.

Chad: Our friend Willis Chin, to whom we dedicated our first CD, has used his talent as a surfer on missions trips. Through his involvement with Youth With a Mission, Willis teaches people how to surf and then shares the gospel with them.

Tim: One thing every teen can do is reach out to the kids at school who are outcasts. At lunch you can sit with that person no one ever talks to.

A recurring theme in many of your songs like “Meant to Live” and “Dare You to Breathe” is making every moment count. Why is this important for teens to understand?

Jon: I believe every person goes through a defining moment in high school where the direction of his life can be significantly affected by one decision. Time slips away so easily, but the decisions you make will have consequences. One of the assets teens have is a confidence that they can help change the world for the better. I never want to become so jaded and grown- up that I lose the joy and peace teens have of knowing their choices can make a difference.

SWITCHFOOT’S GET-A-FOOT-IN-THE-DOOR ADVICE FOR FUTURE ARTISTS

So you want to be a music star, but you don’t know the first thing about playing guitars, keyboards or drums? We thought the guys in Switchfoot could give Breakaway readers a few tips for getting started.

Tim: Rule No. 1: If you want to be a star, don’t play the bass! Seriously though, the bass guitar is the perfect blend between drums and electric guitar. It’s melody, and it’s rhythm. I highly recommend it. Jon and I started playing together when we were in fifth grade. I started by learning all of Paul McCartney’s bass lines, and that’s what I recommend doing.

Jerome: If you want to learn an instrument, find one you enjoy playing. I’m thankful my parents forced me to practice the keyboard. I didn’t appreciate it at first until I figured out I could play certain songs. Later on I realized that the keyboard became the cornerstone of my musical ability, and I’ve ended up playing it quite a bit.

Chad: To be a drummer you’ve either got to move out to a farm where nobody can hear you, buy an electric drum kit—or put a lot of duct tape on your cymbals! Electronic drums aren’t as fun, but they’re quiet. If you try to play a regular drum set in suburbia, your neighbors will put an end to it very quickly!

Jonathan Bartha works at Focus on the Family and often writes about the contemporary Christian music scene. Tom Hook assisted with this story.

Photography / Sparrow Records. From the October issue of Breakaway magazine, a publication of Focus on the Family. Copyright © 2003, Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.