Switchfoot is an American alternative rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums, percussion), Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Drew Shirley (guitar). Known for their energetic live shows, the three guitarists in the line-up often operate simultaneously, building on the pop sensibilities of Jon's songwriting, and, rounded out by Jerome's work on the synthesizer, bringing his industrial roots to the sound, the band works up "the Switchfoot sound"– a melodic crunch of densely layered sound featuring some electronic experimentation, and often driven by hard-charging guitar riffs, while throwing in a few softer, spacey ballads as well.
Switchfoot first gained mainstream recognition after the inclusion of four of their songs in the 2002 movie A Walk to Remember. This recognition led to their major label debut, The Beautiful Letdown, which was released in 2003. It went on to sell over 2.6 million copies and produced the band's best-known singles, "Meant to Live" and "Dare You to Move".
Switchfoot is often referred to as a "Christian band", mostly due to their involvement with the Christian rock scene in their early days. But the band has always shunned this label, "For us, it's a faith, not a genre", says Jon Foreman. "We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind—and that's what we want". Duly, Foreman's lyrics steer clear of preachiness, exclusive declarations of faith, or even any mention of Jesus Christ, instead questioning the status quo, probing existential issues through "Socratic dialogue" in which he answers questions with more questions, exploring frustrations, or simply being inspirational. This approach has resulted in Switchfoot often being described as a "thinking person's" bad. Foreman's poetry is acclaimed by fans and critics alike for its heartfelt honesty, which is evident in his appraisal of the human condition, and in his willingness to not just embrace his faith, but to express doubt as well.
Discography
1997: The Legend of Chin
1999: New Way to Be Human
2000: Learning to Breathe
2003: The Beautiful Letdown
2005: Nothing Is Sound
2006: Oh! Gravity
2009: Unreleased TBA
Awards
Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards
2001: "Les Paul Horizon Award" for the most promising up-and-coming guitarist — Jon Foreman
ASCAP Awards
1997: "Best New Artist"
2006: "Impact Award" awarded "to celebrate the success and influence of his songs in mainstream rock music"[52]— Jon Foreman
2006: Top 50 list of Most Performed Song of 2005 — Dare You To Move
GMA Dove Awards
2004: "Rock Recorded Song of the Year" — Ammunition
2004: "Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year" — The Beautiful Letdown
2004: "Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year" — Meant to Live
2005: "Artist of the Year"
2005: "Short Form Music Video of the Year" — Dare You To Move
2005: "Long Form Music Video of the Year" — Live In San Diego
2005: "Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year" — Dare You To Move
2006: "Short Form Music Video of the Year" — Stars
San Diego Music Awards
1997: "Best New Artist"
2001: "Best Pop Artist"
2001: "Best Pop Album" — Learning to Breathe
2002: "Best Adult Alternative Artist"
2003: "Best Pop Album" — The Beautiful Letdown
2003: "Album of the Year" — The Beautiful Letdown
2004: "Song of the Year" — Dare You To Move
2006: "Artist of the Year"
2007: "Album of the Year" — Oh! Gravity
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