Switchfoot
Storm Watch
Switchfoot’s Hello Hurricane is its most aggressive album to date

By Matt Conner

After several studio releases and years fulfilling label requirements, Jon Foreman finally, the front man for Switchfoot and prolific solo artist, now makes music on his terms and his time.

Last year, Foreman released four seasonal solo EPs (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) along with several singles. That’s not including the collaborative project, Fiction Family, the he embarked upon with Nickel Creek’s Sean Watkins. This year, the five members of Switchfoot are back together after a short hiatus with Hello Hurricane and another disc, tentatively titled Vice Verses, slated for 2010.

From their initial San Diego punk leanings to their recent radio rock releases, Switchfoot’s shifted gears quite a bit to this point. On Hello Hurricane, Foreman says they’ve changed things again, taking on a more intense, aggressive feel while also maintaining the core Switchfoot elements.

“I think this could be true for a lot of bands,” explains Foreman, “but on a bus or when we're hanging out at home, the songs that come up on the iPod are always incredibly diverse and I'm always shocked from one person's taste to the next. I don't think that's ever been reflected on a Switchfoot record, but this time around, I think that’s the case. This album has the most aggressive tones that we've ever had, but the opposite side is true as well. For example, ‘Sing It Out’ doesn't have any percussive element until the bridge. It's things like that which we've never done before. We wanted to push the territory wider on this one.”

The ability to push the boundaries isn’t just a product of the band’s newfound freedom from its Columbia Records contract or the fact that it could record in its own newly build studio. Foreman explains it was significant to gain some artistic space for his own music and find some perspective on the band.

“I feel that it was crucial for me to be able to step away from what we do as a band, to step away from drums and electric guitars,” says Foreman. “Both with the solo EPs and the Fiction Family project, there was a real chance to reassess why I play music. I think that the best music comes, and the best art in general maybe, when you're not focusing on yourself, but instead approaching it like a little kid, just for the sheer enjoyment of sound and the intervals of notes.

“I think that kind of approach becomes sucked out of what you do when you're doing it over and over again,” he continues. “So for me, it was a chance to step away from music and approach it from a different perspective. It was crucial, I think, for Hello Hurricane. I have a new appreciation for what we do as a band and a new appreciation for everyone in the band as well.”
Don’t read between the lines on this one, however. Foreman insists there’s no tension between any band members and the solo outings aren’t reflective of any dissension in Switchfoot. Instead, the 33-year-old says the band was happy to let him take some time away.

“I'm always the last guy in the studio,” says Foreman. “I'm the first one there and the last one to leave. I'm the one who wants to keep playing music after the show is finished and trying to hunt down a coffee shop so I can play more songs. So this was a chance for them to take a break and a chance for me to get these other things out. They were very encouraging. We've had tension in the band in many, many cases, but this was not one of those cases at all. They're very encouraging and very supportive of everything I've done.”

While the songs on Hello Hurricane are diverse, the common thread woven is an unseen element of belief that every band member fully backs the vitality and importance of the song. For Switchfoot, longevity is the name of the game with their career and music.

“Ultimately, this is a collection of songs that we want to die singing. That was something we could all agree on. We believe in them and that became the determining factor – not so much the musical genre or instrumentation, but rather whether you believed it or not. That’s what makes up Hello Hurricane.”