EXCLUSIVE Land of Broken Hearts/We're Awakening/Footsoldiers interview with Neal Avron [Transcript]

My friend Jeanna and I got an amazing opportunity to exclusively interview Neal Avron, the current producer working with Switchfoot on "Vice Verses." He had a ton of insight for us, and if you want to listen to our rough audio recording of the interview, head over to LOBH.

For the word-for-word transcript, read on!

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Jeanna: what is the musical direction of this album?

Neal Avron: The musical direction of this album I think is several. I think the main thing is its gonna be much more of a rhythm section and bass record; not as densely packed on the guitar front, and it's much more assertive from the drums, bass, and percussion setting, and it really advanced where these guys have been before as far as all the grooves that are on the record. That's been one of the main driving forces. I think the other is also just the space, and not feeling like every moment has to be filled with something so there's these really great breaths in the music. And the other thing is there's this incredible variety of different sonic signatures that the guys were totally willing to go for. So each song really has its own voice on the record, not just from a lyrical standpoint.

Job: How far along is the recording process? Are the guys getting ready to do mixing?

NA: We are very far along, conceptually. Next week will be pretty much the last week of recording. There might be a few things to tidy up before that but we should be mixing shortly after that.

Jeanna: What has been the most difficult thing about the album process so far?

NA: Well it's been a very smooth record. I think the most difficult thing though would be choosing which songs work for this record. Jon is a super prolific songwriter, and I think he wrote 50-60 songs prior to the beginning of the idea of making this record, which were whittled down to 20 or so that got sent to me, which we whittled down to a core group for the record, which we then even whittled down further. And Jon even wrote a couple new songs; I believe there were three more written during the making of the record that were not only great songs, but important to the record, and they fit really well into the record. I think going in, it was very important for us to find a core group of songs that really represented a similar… I don't want to say feeling but… they all felt like they belonged. It doesn't matter that one was fast, one was slow, one was singing soft or singing loud or whatever, they still feel like they had the same matter that kind of joins them together. Choosing which songs were the right ones was the hardest job.

Jeanna: Along those lines, what are the guys trying to say with this album? What are the themes and what are they trying to convey?

NA: I think based on what we talked about early on, I think they want to come off in a positive light. I think there are some songs that can definitely be taken in any way, but I think ultimately they're looking for a positive message or finding a way to move forward on something. I think ultimately that's where it's at. There's not a lot of negativity just coming through in the lyrics; I think it's just finding a good place in your life or finding a way to get to that good place in your life.

Job: You're coming off two straight No. 1 Billboard albums with Sara Bareilles and Distrubed. Has that changed your philosophy in the studio any or has it just given you a confirmation as to your skills as a producer?

NA: First of all, I didn't produce the Disturbed record, I mixed that record. But I think that it's always great to get that kind of validation. And I think more importantly for me is to find a way to take whatever artist I'm working with, whether that's Linkin Park, Sara Bareilles, or Switchfoot, any of those bands, and get to the core of what they're trying to say both lyrically and sonically, and help them achieve and express that, whether that's producing or mixing or both. And that just comes from a lot of discussions about how we want to achieve what kind of sonics or what kind of density or production we want to achieve, and then we go after achieving it. Sometimes we nail it on the head right away, sometimes it's a matter of finding our way through the song and letting our guts decide where to go ultimately. But I think that having a No. 1 doesn't really change or validate what I'm doing. I think more than that is bands the I've been able to work on multiple record with. I mean Fall Out Boy I've done three records with, Linkin Park I've done a couple records with now; I continue to have bands that want to come back, and that's the biggest validation for me.

Jeanna: What's your favorite song on the album and why?

NA: Wow! That is really hard. It changes daily for me. Part of that is because the way we cut this record, we decided to group the songs into small bunches. Sometimes you'll do a record where you'll cut the drum tracks for all the songs, then you'll do the bass tracks, then you'll do the guitar tracks. So you're constantly having to rope in 12-14 songs of material and keep track of everything that's going on with each one.

What we've done with this record is we've said, "ok, let's pick three or four songs. Let's record those songs and get them sounding like we want them to sound. Then we're going to put them away, put them on the shelf, start with another three or four, so we can give the song a lot of attention, spend a lot of time with it, get it to a place where we feels it's good, and really just be able to take each song as far as it can go." Then we move on; and when we come back to it, we'll come back and see "oh yeah we put too much of this, we need a little more of that," and I think it's really helped us with the album.

As far as a favorite song, there's a song called "Afterlife" which I think is amazing. Just a beautiful song, it's got a really great mood to it, and I think it takes a nice step up for Switchfoot.

Job: Are there any specific instruments, certain guitars or pedals that the band has gone back to a lot on this record, or has it been more of a wide open experimental plane where you're just using all sorts of instruments?

NA: That's a good question. It's definitely been a wide open plane. This band has their own studio which really is a great luxury so they can really find time to explore a lot of different avenues, sonically. They have a ton of different amplifiers and guitars, they have a bunch of mics, and I brought some mics, and we've really been able to just try anything we want. We've been using multiple guitar amps at the same time, combining them sometimes, separating them into stereo, having a lot of small old amps. With guitars, a large portion of the sound that they drive is from a small combo of amps, and not large Marshall stacks or 4x12's, which has really given the record a big personality that isn't as much on other records, especially rock records. And I'd say drum-wise, again, we've really explored a lot of different avenues, not only in ways for Chad to play his parts and the grooves that he plays, but sonically.

So I can't say there's one core group of things that we've done. Every song since the beginning has had its own voice and a lot of that is based on taking chances sonically and giving it a completely different set signature.

Jeanna: What's it like working with Switchfoot, the pros and the cons?

NA: Well once again, I don't have a lot of bad to say - pretty much nothing. These guys are super sweet guys; they walk in every morning with a smile on their faces, high-fiving each other because they know they're making music and it's the greatest thing ever. They're doing exactly what they love to do, and really there's nothing bad that seems to come with them. I think the good things though is they are so willing to go for and try anything; they're open to any new idea despite the fact they've made a bunch of records and there's no one way for them to do things. And the other thing is they're great musicians, so when I ask for them to try a different part or a different sound, it's just a matter of minutes to kind of bring it up and try it. It's just great to have that kind of versatility and have the guys be such great musicians.

Job: But is there one member that is really stubborn about pursuing a song or an idea?

NA: Well, I mean Jon is the main songwriter. He's the driving force in that regard. Tim and he have this incredible simpatico as brothers. It's actually kind of amusing. There will be several times where Jon is done singing, and Tim will say something, and two seconds later Jon will say an exact thing. Or a guitar part is about to happen, and the two of them will literally spit out the same sentence when they're talking to each other. They kind of have this "brother" thing. And each person brings his own thing. Drew's got his own thing where he'll be in the back of the room playing his guitar as we're doing a vocal, and as soon as we're done doing the vocal, he'll come to me and say, "what do you think? Here's a guitar idea I had." And we'll listen to it and go, "that's great!" And he'll just jump in there and put some guitar down on it and everything kind of feeds off each other. That's kind of the way the whole thing has been.

And when it's time to do bass, Tim plugs in… when [people] start hearing the bass lines on this album, it will open people's eyes. And people who are bass players are going to be smiling from ear-to-ear because it's pretty amazing.


Job: What are you or the guys most excited about when the record comes out?

NA: I think for me, the thing I'm most excited about at this point is that this is a real, honest, true, front-to-back album. It's not a concept record, but it's a [record] chock full of great songs from top to bottom. It's not going to be one of those albums where you're going to find two songs that you like, and the rest you're not going to want to be part of. It's really going to be an album listener, and I think there's going to be days where you go, "wow, I really want to listen to these five songs." And another day where you go, "I want to listen to these other five songs; they make me feel a certain way." There's going to be days where you're going to need to listen to the whole thing top to bottom. I think there's going to be plenty of songs that will feel like singles, but ultimately, it's just a great core group of songs that I think fans and other people are going to want to listen to top to bottom.

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There you have it. What do you all think?

"Your Love Is a Song" enters Top 30 of Hot AC!

For up to date (most of the time) news and original opinions before they hit the update, follow us on Twitter!

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Over the weekend, "Your Love Is a Song" leaped into the Top 30 of Mediabase Hot AC, settling at No. 29. This is looking good for the Billboard placing, possibly landing Switchfoot their first Hot AC/Adult Pop Songs Top 30 single since "We Are One Tonight."

Very exciting. Remember to share around the free download of the song with friends; details here.

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Jon Foreman and Drew Shirley stopped by at 96X recently to play a Sessions show. Here, they play "The Sound."



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Here are some videos from Switchfoot's show at the Varsity Theater in Baton Rouge, LA.

In this one, Jon talks about the conversation he overheard before playing "Only Hope" and "Dare You to Move." If you follow his tweets, you'll know what he's going to talk about.



^That's pretty great! Here are some more clips:

Sabotage
Meant to Live
Your Love Is a Song
Gone
Awakening
Dare You to Move
24

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Next, some videos from the show in Tyler, TX: "The Sound"



Oh! Gravity
Meant to Live
Dark Horses

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And lastly, on Sunday, Switchfoot played Austin City Limits, which is a pretty big festival. Here, a local radio station out there in the Austin area interview Tim Foreman, Chad Butler and Jerome Fontamillas about their then-upcoming performance, as well as more details about "Vice Verses!"

Switchfoot interviews; New single by next summer?

For up to date (most of the time) news and original opinions before they hit the update, follow us on Twitter!

Be sure to tune in next Wednesday, September 29, for the special John M. Perkins/Switchfoot benefit event. For more details, click here.

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Rockerrazzi caught up with Drew Shirley and Chad Burler a month or so back before Switchfoot played at the Greek Theatre. Here is their interview:



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Confront Magazine did an interview a little while back with Jon Foreman and Chad. It has very much the same type of material covered in most interviews, save for this nugget of possibility:

CONFRONT: Can we get a closer idea on when we can expect the follow up album to Hello Hurricane, Vice Verses?

JON: Well I think we got pretty much most of the songs written for a double record, that’s our goal. We’ll see whether they fit together in a collection but hopefully we’ll have a new single out by next summer, we’ll probably start recording this winter.

^There's Jon's probable plan/road map for the band in the next few months. I'm really digging the possibility of a double record, although it's not been successfully pulled off very much over the years. Let's see how Switchfoot does with this. But who's excited about the new single? I am.

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Ethan Luck of Relient k and Demon Hunter fame shot some video footage of Switchfoot from last night's show at Ichthus. Check it out:



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Quick update, "The Sound" has reached an all-time high of No. 8 on the Mediabase Alternative charts. This is cause for jubilation, but let's set our sights on the Top 5!

Request the single at your local alternative radio stations! Request list can be accessed here.

Also be sure to follow the Footsoldiers on Twitter for campaign updates and such.

Weekend Switchfoot news Loose Ends

For up to date (most of the time) news and original opinions before they hit the update, follow us on Twitter!

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Hello friends. As we are nearing the weekend, I'd like to thank you all for sticking with this blog through all these times. I know the updates have been a bit slow, and I apologize for that - it's just the first week of school, so there are books to be bought, classes to be found, old friends to catch up with, a cafeteria food to be consumed. But don't think I'm gone; once things are more settled, we'll be back to normal for the most part.

Anyways, today's update is a typing up of loose end Switchfoot news gathered over the last few days. Hope you find this news digest enjoyable!

- Job

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Today, Switchfoot just posted a link to a new surf movie called High Water on their Facebook page. Sounds like they have either submitted new music to this movie or have donated music to other artists; not sure which it is. Either way, if you would like to hear this clip, head over to highwatermovie.com and click the Trailer button.

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First item today, we've got an interview with VenusZine, conducted with Jon Foreman and Chad Butler at Lollapalooza.

Here's the video:



For the news story from VenusZine's website, head over here.

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KROQ gave another feature to Switchfoot, this time advertising the Greek Theatre show this weekend. Check it out here.

It’s safe to say that Switchfoot is one of the top KROQ bands at the moment. The heavy guitar-filled single “The Sound” has been getting tons of calls on the request lines, plus it’s won #1 Requested Song and #1 Video honors.

Want to hear the sound of “The Sound” live? You may be in luck. Switchfoot is coming to L.A.’s Greek Theatre this Sunday as the opening band for the Goo Goo Dolls. And, luckily, tickets are still available.

^Anyone else can't help but picture Russell Brand's cavorting movie "Get Him to the Greek" when you hear the words "greek" and "theatre?" Me neither.

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Here's another video from Red Rocks.

Dare You to Move



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On this particular tour with the Goo Goo Dolls, Switchfoot has been hitting up a ton of radio stations, of all formats and sizes, giving interviews and acoustic performances. Here are a bunch:

KHMX Mix 96.5 photos. Sample:



Mix 96.5 also did a radio retweet feature with Switchfoot, which you can check out here or below:

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Next up, Jerome Fontamillas conducted a rare individual interview with 897 Power FM:



^Even so, Jon couldn't help but interrupt and butt in! Oh Jon. Kidding.

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Radio Alice 97.3 interview Jon and Chad Butler. LINK.

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And lastly, here are some more videos from the Goo Goo Dolls tour, this time from Concord, CA last night:

The Sound



More:

Stars
Dare You to Move
This Is Your Life
Meant to Live
Won't Back down

Better live "Dark Horses" video; even more Lollapalooza news; some videos

For up to date (most of the time) news and original opinions before they hit the update, follow us on Twitter!

Also, on another note, we here at We're Awakening would like to express our relief that Switchfoot, crew, and all are safe after their bus fire yesterday.

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As we reported last Monday, Switchfoot debuted their new song "Dark Horses" live at the Q101 Lollapalooza after-party. The audio quality on the one video we had left something to be desired, but thanks to our friend ktlouuu, we have a better video! Check it out:



^This song rocks. Love it.

Here's another video from the after-party:



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Next section in today's update, we've got even more Lollapalooza press, and a couple other miscellaneous Switchfoot-related articles.

The Delco Times says:

Switchfoot, who on paper looked almost out of place on the bill, battled through the clouds and wetness as the air literally heated up during its set. “Hello Hurricane,” the band’s latest record, is a surprisingly rocking affair, and it’s turned a lot of people suspect of the band into straight-up fans. The live performance was much the same, as frontman Jon Foreman did whatever he needed to get the crowd going, climbing the speakers and the scaffolding next to the stage and even pulling out a cover of the Beastie Boys’ classic, “Sabotage.”

“It started out drenching the pedal boards upfront and they had to pull them back,” said Foreman after the set. “They moved all our gear back, and by the end, we were like, ‘No, let’s bring it forward!’”

“For me, I just like to get in there and mix it up with the crowd even if it’s muddy — I’ll get muddy, I don’t care!”

More press:

Switchfoot is striving to reach a wider audience

Christian rockers finally get some respect

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Drew Shirley does a quick interview at Cornerstone. Nothing too serious, but here it is anyways.



And, Hurley (the clothing company) posted a video of the band performing "Mess of Me" at the U.S. Open Surfing

"Your Love Is a Song" Impacts Mainstream Radio!

For up to date (most of the time) news and original opinions before they hit the update, follow us on Twitter!

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"Your Love Is a Song," the third single from "Hello Hurricane" impacts radio today on the Hot AC and Top 40 formats! I'm excited to see where this song takes Switchfoot; it's been way too long since the band made any real impact on these pop formats.

To put this all into perspective, the last Switchfoot song to even hit Hot AC charts was "This Is Home," coming in at a paltry No. 63 on the charts. "We Are One Tonight" was the last Switchfoot song to even hit the Top 30 on Hot AC, peaking at No. 29.

In other words, the time is ripe for Switchfoot to make that comeback to popular music we have all been waiting for, and I think "Your Love Is a Song" is the perfect candidate for the job. Atlantic has shown the kind of commitment to the band that could make this a runaway hit.

And if not for Maroon 5's big new single, Switchfoot would've had the second most added song of the week!



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Don't forget though that we've got a single at Alternative radio that is still climbing the charts as well. "The Sound" is by no means finished, and it is currently sitting at No. 24 on the chart. Be sure to head over to the Footsoldiers Request page and request the song!

We're working on having a "Your Love Is a Song" page ready for you soon!

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Switchfoot.com recently confirmed that the band will be playing at the US Open of Surfing on August 5th. More info here.




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Here's another Drew Shirley gear tour, posted by JHpedals.



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Switchfoot recently did an interview with TVU. Apparently there's a really huge tour coming soon in the fall that the interviewer kind of freaked out about... interesting. Anyways, watch on:



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Hurley.com posted a video recap of the Bro-Am. Interesting to watch; check it out.


View this video at Hurley.com

"The Sound" is the Most Added song on Modern Rock; Switchfoot EF Interview; some old Jon Foreman/Fiction Family videos; Switzerland videos

For up to date (most of the time) news and original opinions before they hit the update, follow us on Twitter!

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In what can be considered a miraculous resurrection, "The Sound" is the most added song at Modern Rock/Alternative radio this week!



"The Sound" also vaults a spot to No. 31 on Alternative songs and is experiencing a resurgence. It falls a spot on Christian Rock.

"Your Love Is a Song" also continues to do well, making it's debut on Christian CHR, entering at No. 27. On Christian Songs overall, the song takes a one-spot jump to No. 36.

Great work with the requesting! See the bottom of today's post for instructions on how to help out!

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EntertainmentFocus on Youtube did a two-part interview with three of the guys from Switchfoot. Check it out:

Part 1



Part 2



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Keith Tutt, the esteemed cellist who has played in many a Switchfoot, Jon Foreman, and Fiction Family record and show, has uploaded a few new videos to Youtube. Here they are:

Southbound Train (Live from the Stageful of Awesome tour)



Learning How to Die



War In My Blood (Fiction Family tour)



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And, a couple of Switchfoot videos from Switzerland:

Needle and Haystack Life



Your Love Is a Song



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"The Sound" is re-surging on U.S. Modern Rock radio. To keep it going, make sure you're requesting the single at your local alternative station! Also, thanks to your efforts, the latest Footsoldiers campaign has been successful so far!

Let's keep it up! We MISSED all the countdowns last night. So, here are the voting links/instructions to get that going again:

Q101's Top 9 at 9 (Chicago)
KPNT's 5 Songs That Don't Suck (St. Louis)
91x Christy Taylor's Really Big Countdown (San Diego) (email christy@91x.com, subject line: Really Big Countdown Submission)

^If we can keep these up until the guys get back from Europe two weeks from now, we will have done an excellent job!

Purchase the Macbeth Switchfoot shoe!

For up to date (most of the time) news and original opinions before they hit the update, follow us on Twitter!

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Check it out here, going for $54.99!

(Thanks LOBH)

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Also, check out an interview with boundlessline.org.

You can listen to it on iTunes or at their wordpress. Tim Foreman and Chad Butler really weigh in and provide insight in this interview, so I recommend you give it a listen.

(Thanks Kat from the boards!)

See "Meant to Live" played on Rock Band

Been wondering what the newly added Switchfoot track "Meant to Live" looks like on Rock Band? Wonder no further:



^I found the animations hilarious.

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Our friends at LOBH report that "Mess of Me" has hit No. 1 on Argentina's Rock and Pop chart. Cool beans!

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Here's a relatively old interview with Andy Barron, from back in October that I've managed to miss! He offers a lot of insight, and if you're wondering what camera Switchfoot has been using lately for their SwitchfootTV footage, it's all revealed here.

"switchfoot also recently got a new 5dmarkII so when i’ve been out shooting video for them lately, it’s been with that. the new music video for switchfoot’s single ‘mess of me’ is actually a lot of footage i shot on that thing... it’s kind of stupid how good the footage from those things looks."

Read the rest here.

New Drewcast; Interview with Youth Walk; "Sabotage" campaign details

Check out the new Drewcast titled: Jon plays trumpet!?!



^Not bad at all!

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Hearitfirst.com posted a video of Switchfoot playing "Always" acoustic from Spot X. I feel like we've seen this thing before somewhere else, but anyways, our friend Brad uploaded it to Youtube:



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Check out a video of "Mess of Me" from the Albuquerque show back in February:



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Apparently S.F. did an interview w/Youth Walk Magazine. Check it out! (thanks to Jana for a the full transcription)

The Art of Switchfoot: 
an interview the surfboarding sages of Switchfoot

by Laurin Makohon 

How did your journey with God affect the direction of Hello Hurricane?



JON: The word journey is an incredible word to start with, because my experience with anything transcendent—whether it’s poetry, a worship service, or a walk on the beach—is that it feels like it’s a journey. And this record was certainly a journey. We’re what, five records into our career? Is this our sixth one? 



TIM: This is our seventh.

JON: Okay. So enough records to forget how many we’ve done. (laughs) And before this record, we kind of stepped away from things for a while. We cut ties with our label, we cut ties with management, and we built our own studio. That extra breathing room in our lives allowed us to look back and reflect and say, “Wow, it’s incredible that music has been such a huge part of our lives. Music has taken us to Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Europe, India, South Africa—places that we never thought we’d go.” Then we were able to look forward and say, “Well, what do we want to do? What do we want to say with our music? What’s worth singing about? What’s worth being in Atlanta when our families are all in San Diego?” Because there’s a price to pay for all of this.

We recorded about 80-plus songs for the record, and I think what came to me at the end of the journey is the punchline of the reason why we play music. And that’s this: Music is one of the few things in life that gets under the skin without asking for permission. And because of that, it’s an incredible honor to sing a song of hope for someone else because many people have sung those songs for us. So because of the reflection that went into the journey of making this album, I think that this record has a potency that our last few haven’t. 



In “Your Love Is a Song” you sing about how God’s love is a symphony playing all around you. Can you explain what you mean by that? 



JON: Music helps me understand the world because there are a lot of parallels between what I see in a song and what I see in existence. There are certain notes—blue notes you can call them, accidentals—notes that might clash. There’s this dissonance in a song, a tension. And then there’s release. So when I see the world and I see Darfur and I see human rights struggles in India and I see sex trafficking here in the U.S., I think that it’s only right to have your heart broken by these things, to recognize it for the dissonance that it is, for the absurdity. These elements shouldn’t be happening—they make no sense, they’re absurd. And yet I feel like it’s only within the context of harmony that I can even understand these to be dissonant elements. Because if there weren’t such a thing as harmony, of notes going together and sounding right, I wouldn’t know what dissonant notes sound like. The constant of the scale puts all these things in perspective, just like we know deep in us that there’s a rightness in life that’s found in God. And so for me, “Your Love Is a Song” pictures this Master Songsmith who is writing the world into existence, continuing to create and re-create, to redeem these wrong notes.



Since God is the Author of everything good, true, and beautiful, how do you see God in the world? 



JON: I feel as believers we like to divide up our lives into segments. I think it’s absolutely a fallacy to think that you can’t find beauty or truth in something that doesn’t have a Christian kosher stamp on the back of it; that if it’s somehow not sold in the Christian department or the Christian this or that, then redemption doesn’t exist for it. And the moment we put redemption in that category, we’re degrading the very faith that we’re afforded. God isn’t limited to labels.
So I feel like it’s a disservice to view art in that perspective. I think that Radiohead has some incredibly worshipful moments. I think Picasso’s got some incredibly poignant elements and things to say to everyone. And to put Christianity into a box is wrong. 

How does your faith influence your art? 



JEROME: Well, as far as music is concerned, music has gotten me through a lot growing up. To do music and to affect people, us singing our songs and them singing back to us, it’s encouraging but it’s also pretty powerful. Music can affect people in a positive way, which means we have an opportunity to communicate the hope of God in our songs. 



DREW: My faith affects everything in my life—and art is one of those areas. I think my faith has given me much more of a freedom than I would’ve had without it. For instance, in the Psalms, there’s a very wide range of highs and lows. That’s an example in Scripture of the range that art can have. We believe in a God who is much more expressive than anyone here is, He’s much wiser than anyone here is. And we don’t even see Him clearly now—we see as in a mirror that’s faded and gives a dim reflection of Him. I think that as an artist, you’re reaching for those things that are just out of reach; you’re reaching toward an infinite God who is so incredibly diverse. I mean, just look at the animals He created. No human could make all of these amazing creatures up—God is incredible. Knowing that there’s a God who’s that creative and diverse has freed me up to allow greater highs and greater lows in the art that I make. It has taken the barriers away.



CHAD: When it comes to faith and art, I think there’s freedom to express the challenges and the hardships and the doubts in life. When you know there’s a hope that’s deeper than the wounds and the pain, you can dive into that and express that through all kinds of different mediums. I’ve seen incredible theater that has taken me to emotional depths that were uncomfortable but really challenging and beautiful. I’ve seen paintings of a woman crying over her dying baby that have stirred me and haunted me, but I know that there’s truth in that—we live in a broken, painful world. I’ve heard and played songs that have moved me and that were difficult to play, but because there’s truth in it, because there’s honesty in it, there’s beauty and those things resonate.
I think this is something that I’ve grown to realize. I grew up in the church, and I think that there are a lot of words thrown around about being positive or to view the world through this filter. It’s really freeing when you realize that you can see the world in its highs and lows, as Drew said, without fear of leaving your faith behind. Because of the hope that’s in our faith, we have the chance to experience life in its fullness, knowing that we take with us that hope and that freedom through God and His Truth. 



What advice would you give to students who want to create great art? 



JON: As creations of God, ultimately your worth is in your unique position in life, to be able to sing from that position and sing your unique song. And when we do that, we’re essentially joining in with the song of creation. Our creative God created everything with just words. He said: “Let there be,” and there was. To be an artist is an invitation to put the words God has given you into that song. Your unique location, your language, your attitudes—all of these things are yours alone. So to create good art, you first have to be honest with yourself.
Then there’s the craft of just plugging away every day. Write a song every day. Why not? You’ll get better at it. Paint a painting every day. Why not? You’ll get better at it. Don’t be afraid of it. Dive in; play as much as you can around town. Anywhere that you can play, that they’ll let you play, play a song. 

TIM: I think art is about storytelling—whether it’s a painting or a song or a book, I think the story is very important. It’s key to acknowledge that we’re all part of a much bigger story. That’s exciting to think that we get to write a small chapter, maybe even just a paragraph, in a much larger story. What is the story that you want to tell?



What would you say to people who want to be influencers of culture and not just consumers of it? 



JON: I think ultimately to be influencing the people around you and the culture around you is to have a deep understanding of your place in the world, which as a believer, is to have a deep understanding of your Creator. We all need to be connected with the greater story that’s unfolding. And the greater story is that we have a God who wants us to bring His Kingdom to earth—and then He’s going to bring it in full when He comes. We all have these little stories and at times we get distracted from the greater story. You know, you see an infomercial on TV about how this product’s going to do such-and-such. And you buy in, and then you get the product and you remember that you don’t have a need for the product at all. We lose the bigger story for the smaller one. I think we do that with our lives in much less comical ways, where we see a very small glimmer of light and we chase that for years, rather than the sun that’s rising behind us. I think that to be influencing people around you is to step away from the small pictures for a moment, to catch what the bigger picture is. 



TIM: To add to that, I think it’s very difficult to affect change outside of love, and actions without love, like Scripture says, are like a clanging cymbal. Love should be informing all of our actions and all of our thoughts and what we say and how we interact with each other—that’s the most powerful weapon that we have for change.

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"Sabotage" video UPDATE:

We got front page last night!



Also, the video has gotten these honors so far:


#23 - Most Discussed (Today))
#2 - Most Discussed (Today)) - Music
#75 - Most Viewed (Today)) - Music - Australia
#43 - Most Viewed (Today)) - Music - Canada
#73 - Most Viewed (Today)) - Music - India
#39 - Most Viewed (Today)) - Music - New Zealand
#48 - Most Viewed (Today)) - Music
#84 - Top Favorited (Today))
#27 - Top Favorited (Today)) - Music
#26 - Top Rated (Today)) - Music
#100 - Top Rated (This Week)) - Music

Switchfoot is also: #31 - Most Viewed (Today) - Musicians

GREAT JOB footsoldiers!

We have until 6:00 PM PST today to promote this thing. Let's keep it going guys! Watch it here

Chad Butler talks about "Vice Verses," "Eastern Hymns," and more with JFH

For up to date (most of the time) news and original opinions before they hit the update, follow us on Twitter!

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Here's a great new interview with Chad Butler that JFH did. Check it out in its entirety below:

While on the road in the midst of their Hello Hurricane Tour, Jesusfreakhideout.com caught up with Switchfoot's drummer Chad Butler while the band was on a stop in Seattle, Washington. Butler sought shelter from the Seattle rains as he discussed life's storms and the making of their latest project, Hello Hurricane.
This interview took place on: 1/12/10.



# Jesus freak Hideout (John DiBiase): I saw your Philadelphia, PA stop of the Hello Hurricane Tour. How has your experience been playing the whole record each night? And thank you for playing "Evergreen." It was awesome!

Chad Butler: *laughs* Yeah! It's been sort of an adventure. We definitely stepped out to do this whole record live and play this whole record front to back. It has been a little crazy. We didn't know if people would pay attention for that much new music, and it's been quite a surprise to see people really sing along. Even in the early part of the tour when the record had just come out, it seemed like people were singing along to every song. I guess that's the power of the Internet and people hearing it early, which is cool. And then coming back in the second set of the night and doing old songs, like "Evergreen" like you mentioned, has been really fun! Seven albums of material is a lot to draw from. There's definitely a lot of audible calls where somebody in the audience will grab Jon's attention and hold up a sign for an old song or something and we'll try something we haven't played in seven or eight years. It's been a lot of fun.

# JFH (John): What are some of the rarities you guys have pulled out of the Switchfoot catalog?

Chad: Well last night, we were in Portland and it seemed like the whole crowd wanted to hear "Chem6A," which is a lot of fun. It's about as old as you can get for Switchfoot! That song dates back almost fourteen years now. That's been as far back as we've reached, but definitely a lot of songs off of each record. In fact, I think there's been a few nights where we've intentionally tried to play one song off of every record. It's just been fun. Sort of a history lesson. *laughs* But yeah, it's been amazing because this is a special record. We've never wanted to play an album like this live front to back, y'know? There's a whole lot of records that you record and there's those two or three songs that really connect live and the rest of it works better in a studio environment. And this one, the sequence of the record and the songs that made the final cut, we really wrestled over with the live show in mind, and really creating a flow that would work in a live setting. We've never done that before, so it's something completely new.

# JFH (John): Do you think you'll ever do this again with future albums - playing the whole record live?

Chad: Y'know, I didn't think it was a good idea or necessarily gonna connect. We thought maybe we'd try it for a little bit until we were told to quit *laughs* by the audience, but it worked and I think it can be done. I know bands have done it before, we're no pioneers in that sense, but for us it's definitely something that we could do again. I think, in particular because this album was labored over for so long, and the batch of songs was so enormous - I mean, we recorded over 80 songs over two and a half years - and whittled it down to these twelve - that it seems much more thought-out than any other record previous for us. So I can't imagine doing that process again. It was painstaking and heart wrenching at times, but ultimately, that's why I think it's so emotionally satisfying for us to play the songs as a unit like this, as a complete album - Side A to Side B - in a real listening experience.

# JFH (John): How was working with Mike Elizondo different than working with other producers and how much did his input affect the final product?

Chad: Well, typically, we've brought in a producer from the front end of the recording process and there's a certain quantity of songs that sort of weigh in by the A&R guy at the label, obviously the band, and the producer, sort of equally choosing songs and going, "OK, we're going to go in and record these ten, eleven, twelve songs," whatever it is. But for this one, the process was so unique. We were completely independent. We broke ties with the record label several years back, and just built a studio in San Diego. Basically, we stopped being Switchfoot and had to really reevaluate and build from the ground up, which was such an eye-opening process for us. It really allowed ourselves to ask some hard questions. Y'know, "Why are we doing what we're doing?" and "What do we want this next record to say? What do we want it to sound like?" And then to be able to have the creative freedom with no time constraints to explore every possible whim musically and basically chase every production idea, song idea, to the end for the first about year and a half, two years. And then in the last few months, we brought in a producer, which was more to make sense of the mess we made. *laughs* - than in previous records when you're actually collaborating with someone from the get-go, and how you're going to attack the song. So we had this giant mess of eighty fully-recorded songs. I mean, these weren't just laptop demos, these were full-band versions of the songs - the keeper tracks we had spent months on. Seven or eight variations of fully-record versions of each song. From all different stylistic approaches to different tempos, half-time, full-time, full-band, stripped down, orchestral, electronic, whatever. And then to bring somebody in at the end to look at it and say what's good or bad. To get that kind of fresh ears on it was really helpful. And Mike, ultimately, is a song guy. I don't know if you know much of his discography, but he's a legendary hip-hop producer, writer, player, y'know, out of Dr. Dre's camp, done all the Eminem records, and really has all this urban sensibility. But ultimately, he's a songsmith. He really reminded us, "What are the songs that only you can bring? What are the songs that only Switchfoot can deliver?" Basically reminding us of who we were. And it was with that filter that we were able to choose, collectively, these particular songs from these particular versions of them. **There's a slight pause and then very suddenly we hear a loud car horn in the background. John laughs.** I apologize for the car noises. They're actually orchestrated to emphasize my words. I'll have them honk when I mean it!

# JFH (John): *laughs* That's awesome. Now, you also worked with Charlie Peacock, too, on some of the demos?

Chad: Yeah! That was actually the first incarnation of a new Switchfoot album. We went into the studio for a week with him while our studio was being constructed. We didn't wanna wait, so we had a bunch of ideas, bunch of song ideas, and went into Big Fish Studio in San Diego where we had done previous records and just, as an experiment, set up all in one room and just jammed the songs all together rather than taking turns recording and overdubbing like we'd normally do. And it in some ways was a failed experiment, because nothing from those sessions made the record. *laughs* And there was a lot of music we laid down over a week's time with Charlie. But Charlie's role in our lives has always been that of a mentor, obviously musically, but personally, and that week we spent with Charlie was invaluable and just the state that we're in, the headspace we're in and just how to approach a new record together. And I think we walked away with maybe nothing to show for it musically per say, but just the desire and eliminating some ideas was just as good as creating new ones. Being able to say, "OK, we're not going to do the record this way and we're not going to do these songs, we're going to keep pushing." And it was a safe environment with someone that we knew and trusted and I think he was able to shoot us straight and say, "I think you guys are reaching for a horizon that's much larger than anything you've experienced before. And that became the motto - to really push for something that we hadn't seen yet. The tangible goal of capturing on ones and zeros a recording of a known song was not enough. It had to be pushing for something we hadn't felt yet. So that's basically what we walked away with from Charlie was just that desire to go back in and keep writing and keep pushing and looking. Y'know, I do credit Charlie for the beginning stages of what became this record, although no piece of music had made it. There was one idea that did survive those sessions. There's a song that, at the time was called "I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning" and the demo for that song has been released with the bonus disc for that record. The guitar riff from that became "Mess of Me." So, long story short, that's all that we did with Charlie. And then we went back into our own studio for the following two years and did the rest of eighty new songs.

# JFH (John): From those 80 songs, I know your next album Vice Verses is already planned to come from that. Do you know when Vice Verses might be coming out? And do you guys have plans for any of the rest of the 80 songs?

Chad: No plans in the near future. I think that's the beauty of the position we're in, because all of these songs will see the light of day in some shape or form. They'll each have their time to come out. I think that right now we're so focused on Hello Hurricane that it would be unfair to these songs to put out another batch right now. They'll all come out in the future. We were talking the other day about maybe there'll be another EP or another album that leapfrogs before Vice Verses, y'know? Sort of depends on how all these songs fit together in the right time and the right place.

# JFH (John): I know people are wondering about Vice Verses. Do you think, then, it might come out next year?

Chad: I would imagine that. I don't know. It all just kind of depends on how this year shapes up for us.

# JFH (John): OK. Can you tell us about the Eastern Hymns for Western Shores EP?

Chad: Yeah. *laughs* That's an interesting one, something that we recorded before Hello Hurricane. And it just didn't feel like the next statement. It's a little bit darker, and a little bit more experimentation musically, that seemed to fit together into a 5-song EP. I'm sure that'll come out maybe sometime this year. We'll see.

# JFH (John): Now, the actual recording process for Hello Hurricane, how was that different than previous records?

Chad: Well, we spent most of the recording time alone, and then brought in Mike Elizondo to help us finish it. So the bulk of the recording was done with just ourselves in our own space, working whatever hours we wanted. There was an incredible freedom artistically to do whatever we wanted and to take our time. We did bring in some of our favorite engineers - Darrell Thorp, who has worked on a lot of our favorite records like Radiohead and Beck. And incredible tones and capturing great sounds. So we did work with him for awhile, then Shane Wilson who worked on The Legend of Chin, just brought in some old friends, y'know? And just took our time. It was different in that nobody was looking over our shoulder. There was no deadline to meet. At the same time, we felt like we were living the dream! Working in our own space, sleeping in our own beds, being in San Diego, getting to go surfing every morning, and then go back to the studio and record all afternoon. But when you're looking at two years of work and you've got eighty songs and really nothing to show for it in terms of a cohesive album or a cohesive musical statement, it can seem a little bit overwhelming. And there was a dark period there, about two years into the process where we didn't know, "Is this record going to drive us into the ground? Is this going to go on forever? Are we ever going to find that connection of one album to put out?" And those decisions are hard. Those conversations are hard! So we started thinking, "So what are the songs we want to die singing? What are the songs we want to play for the rest of our lives? And the songs that move us on a heart level?" There's a lot of music experimentation in the process of eighty songs. A lot of excitement comes from, "Oh that's a new sound I've never heard Switchfoot do!" Or "That's an impressive musical part on that song, should we include that?" And I think those things fall by the wayside when you're talking about a theme and a heart of what the song's saying. What is the statement you want to make? And these twelve songs really came together around the idea of the title track, "Hello Hurricane." That's actually an idea Tim came up with before the song was even written. During the process, he threw out that title inspired by working for Habitat For Humanity down in Louisianna. And post-Katrina, we had that opportunity to build some houses and [one for] a lady in particular who had lost her home in the hurricane. It's an interesting story. She was building her new home with us and [she shared with us that] she had lost her leg in the evacuation. Her statement was, "I walked out of my old house, I'm gonna walk into this new one." She had every right to be bitter at the world and frustrated with life, but she had chosen hope and chosen to face the storm head on that she had been personally battling.

I think our storms all look different, individually. We go through different things and we can't control what comes at us. Our part is how we react in the face of that storm. So that determination in the face of struggle is sort of the connected idea that started to link together the heartbeat between the twelve songs that we chose. As a performance, I think we were able to elaborate on it a little bit during the show to describe this vision of a hurricane coming, a hurricane arriving, and a hurricane passing. Just that image of what happens in hard times. There is that part that we play in reacting in the midst of it.

# JFH (John): Is there a specific musical moment on Hello Hurricane that you're most proud of?

Chad: I think the song "Free." For me, that has meant a lot to me in this season of the last couple years, personally. I think it's very easy to become bound up in your identity - your work, and to allow the things that you do to define you. And I think that when there's a lot of turmoil about what's going on in your life or what you're going to do or not do next, that uncertainty can be something that you become bound up in. I think that experiencing freedom in the midst of those complicated times is the key and that's something that I've been appreciating about that song in particular. That's sort of been an anthem for my own life in the last couple years. And live, that song musically has taken on a life of its own. It's very different in the show than it is on the record. We sort of elaborated on the idea that there's a lot of drumming going on on stage. Everyone gets in on the rhythmic action and it's a lot of fun.

# JFH (John): What does 2010 look like for Switchfoot?

Chad: Man, we have had such a privilege to deliver these songs first hand to our audience. And I don't take that lightly! I don't think that every band has the relationship with their audience where there's that interest and that trust level to be able to play all new music and have that kind of enthusiasm that we've experienced on this tour. We started in November when the record came out and our intention was to sort of experiment with that playing-the-whole-new-album set for a few weeks and see how it went. And here we are several months later and it hasn't stopped. It feels like people are really into the idea and appreciate [it]. To me, it's almost like a theatrical performance of the songs. I feel much more connected to what comes next in the set. I feel like there's an emotional journey that people are willing to go on with us and I'm really appreciative of that. I'm also excited to take these songs around the world. We've had the privilege over the last few years to do a lot of international touring and play in a lot of places that we've never dreamed of. These songs being meaningful to people halfway around the world still blows my mind. I'm so thankful I'm able to play music every day let alone getting to see the world and meet people from all different backgrounds and cultures. So we do have a lot of international plans. We'll be going overseas pretty soon. We're going to New Zealand and Japan and Australia in the next coming months. And then Europe in May. And then South America beyond that. I guess I'm just still blown away that fourteen years later I get to see the world with four of my best friends and play songs I believe in every day! It's a privilege.

# JFH (John): Any last comments?

Chad: Thank you for your interest in the music and for taking the time to give it a listen. And I really appreciate it. Life's short - live it well!

I think it's great that the band is letting "Hello Hurricane" have as long a gestation period as possible. I think this album is destined for great things, and it's great they won't be rushing it to its end by putting out "Vice Verses" right away. 2010 is shaping up to be a great year so far! Hope you all enjoyed that interview. Please check out the main SOURCE too.

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"Mess of Me" came in at No. 2 again this week! VOTE FOR IT NOW, so we can get to No. 1 on Tuesday.

Can anyone DVR or TIVO it?

"Hello Hurricane" No. 6 on iTunes Weekly Sales

The Associated Press released the charts of iTunes album sales released on the week of Nov. 16, 2009.

Albums:

1. "Before I Self Destruct," 50 cent
2. "Glee - The Music, Vol. 1," Glee Cast
3. "Play On," Carrie Underwood
4. "The Circle," Bon Jovi
5. "Attention Deficit," Wale
6. "Hello Hurricane," Switchfoot
7. "Memento Mori," Flyleaf
8. "Alter the Ending," Dashboard Confessional
9. "Ocean Eyes," Owl City
10. "Fearless," Taylor Swift

^Notably, it finished ahead of Flyleaf and Dashboard Confessional. We'll be hearing other album charts news very soon, so sit tight!

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Patrol Magazine reviewed "Hello Hurricane," giving it 6.9/10 stars. Read it here

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Our friends over at LOBH had an exclusive interview Andy Barron, the photographer for Switchfoot and the man responsible behind the artwork for "Hello Hurricane." Here's an excerpt:

Land of Broken Hearts (LOBH): Can you tell us the story behind the Hello Hurricane CD cover photo? Where was the photo taken? How did you take it?

Andy Barron: It was on the Up In Arms tour in New Jersey and we had a show on a pier over the water. There was a window through the bathroom that you could use and sneak out onto the roof, so we did. The guys were running around having fun with the birds and at one point I laid down and looked up and snapped [the shot]. I was hoping a bird wouldn't poop on my lens.


LOBH: I have to ask... is there ANY photoshopping on the image? Color correcting? Sharpening? Contrast? Layers?

Andy: As much as I would love to say there was no PS work to it, there is. Nothing crazy though. I adjusted colors and whatnot to my liking, and then there was one bird we affectionately called the 'hammerhead bird' because it lined up with another bird to make it look like a bird had a whole other bird for a head. I hope that makes sense. Needless to say I cleaned that up a little bit, but nothing too drastic was done to it.

^I loved it! Be sure to check out the rest!

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Today marks the release of the latest American Idol winner, Kris Allen. Significant is that one of Allen's songs was co-written with Jon Foreman.

He tells MTV that he learned a lot from writing with the Switchfoot singer:

But it was fellow dude rockers Jon Foreman (from Switchfoot) and the Fray's Joe King who Allen said he learned the most from. "As an artist, I feel like I can relate to them. And obviously, Jon Foreman's lyrics are outta this world," Allen gushed. Foreman and King's efforts resulted in the inspiring anthem "Lifetime" and the jumpy, George Harrison-inspired "Alright With Me," respectively.

^That's awesome. Be sure to check out "Lifetime" on iTunes or Amazon if you can.

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It's tour time! And Switchfoot have been busy tweeters, keeping the Twitter feed interesting. Here are highlights:

- Had an amazing time tonight in OKC. Thanks for the bonus encore! Played "you" for the first time ever. Dallas HOB tomorrow! -tf

- Up early, getting ready to play some tunes live on Good Morning Dallas TV.

- Done with tv, now on our way to 102.1 the EDGE. Drew's mustache says hello. http://yfrog.com/79mghj



- Here's jon playing Stars on guitar while crowdsurfing http://bit.ly/2p0GVI don't think he's played it better! -tf



- Good news Nashville. For those of you who can't get in to our sold-out show this sunday, we are adding a second night on Monday!

- Chad's tracking a cover of a tune by The Verve on the verizon bus right now, guess which one? http://yfrog.com/13kerytrj



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CHARTS

"Mess of Me" moved up a slot today, and is now No. 28 on the Alternative charts! Keep up the requesting! It's working.

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VOTING

Don't forget to take the time to vote! It's not that much of a time-waster (only a couple minutes at most). Also, remember, remember to request "Mess of Me" on your local rock stations. Again, it's re-surging at radio, so be sure to help keep the pressure on!

- WRRV

- 98.7 (Los Angeles) Badass 8 We need to continue to put pressure on and get higher! The station is starting to spin the song more... VOTE.

- 91x (San Diego) Christy Taylor's REALLY BIG Countdown Keep requesting each day to keep it on the countdown! We were no. 1 last night. YES!

- RadioU's Top Ten Most Wanted. We still have the top spot! Well done! Let's keep it that way!

- We need to get "Mess of Me" on to KROQ, in order to get this single off the ground. Go HERE to request it! Keep it up friends! Don't slow down, WE NEED THIS. Keep going.

-

Again, go here to see a list of stations already playing "Mess of Me" and phone numbers to call in and request the song with!! This is our time to shine, friends!

Interviews, Videos, and Voting links

Before we get on with today's update (sorry it's a bit late), please, if you haven't already, buy "Hello Hurricane" on iTunes! You can get the 12 songs, pluse 3 bonus tracks you can't really find anywhere else, and a live in-studio video, for only $12.99 ! What are you waiting for? Here's even a link!

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Here's another place you can make your presence felt. Vote for "Mess of Me" on this new york Alternative radio station. GO!

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Rockerrazzi.com has an exclusive interview with Jon Foreman and Drew Shirley, two thirds of Switchfoot. Check it out here:



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Also, Air1 did were given an exclusive tour of Switchfoot's Spot X studio. It's an awesome look:



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Relevant Magazine gave a glowing review of "Hello Hurricane." Check it out.

Expressnightout also reviewed the album

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Drew is the next member of the band to do an exclusive blog for CCM Magazine.

Being on the road is a strange reality for me I guess. Some of my friends were asking me today about the tour coming up and how it feels to be on a tour. I told them it is exciting and that I think I have one of the best jobs in the world. I mean, being in a band and traveling the world making music is a blessing that few people are able to experience. So, I thought I'd give you a quick snapshot of life on the road.

First of all, I usually sleep in because I usually stay up late the night before. Makes sense right? It takes me a while to unwind after a show and really, I just like to hang out at night. I keep my watch on California time, which helps me keep my body clock consistent through all the time changes. Living on the bus is like a really being on a small rolling apartment with ten or more people in it continually. As you can imagine there is lots of "stuff and things" everywhere and "excuse me I need to get by you again in the hallway." It looks glamorous to roll up in one, but after a month, it gets feeling really really small. One of the daily challenges is figuring out what my schedule is (cause it's different most days). Questions like "Where is a shower? Where's the bathroom? and Where is food?" are ones that I ask each morning. This can be tricky since we drive at night and wake up in a new city every day. I usually just search "coffee" on my phone and start heading that way. Mornin!

Aside from the logistical things about being on the road, I always look forward to meeting people and taking in the vibe of different cities. I love roaming around Denver, Seattle, Atlanta, New York and Chicago. Wow, these are all amazing places that each holds stories and memories for me. I'll just start walking and get lost in a city for a few hours. As long as I have my phone, wallet and tour pass, I can do just about anything. One of the most unique things about touring is living with your friends and working shoulder to shoulder. We are on a journey together with music that we believe in whole heartedly and that is a rare thing. I look forward to running into you in your city.

-Drew Shirley

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Trapdoorsun did an interview with Jon. (thanks to our friend Tim for the tip)

TDS: As a songwriter, what emotions do you tap when writing? Do you tend to linger with certain emotions over others?

FOREMAN: There is a deeper portion of our being that we rarely allow others to see. Call it a soul maybe, this is the place that holds the most value. All else can drift but this. When this dies our body has no meaning. We handle this portion of our being with extreme care. Life tears at us and scars us as children so we adopt facades and masks to hide this part of us, to keep this sacred part of ourself from the pain. And yet, we long to communicate this deeper place ... to connect with each other on this spiritual level, for we know that this is the only part of us that will last.

These spiritual transactions remind us of the true meaning and yearning that cannot be found on the surface. Many times songs allow us to communicate these deeper places. Music is admitted under the skin without permission. Pain is a common emotion in many of my songs mainly because I often don't know other ways to express it adequately. In my songs I wrestle with the things that I don't understand.

I often use music as a handle for very emotionally explosive substances: love, sex, God, fear, doubt, politics, the economics of the soul—these are daunting thoughts in the back of my mind that I rarely visit without the safety gloves of song.


TDS: Describe your writing process? (Is it spontaneous? Does it take discipline or is it something that just comes naturally for you?)

FOREMAN: There's a book called The War of Art that tells us, "The muse honors the working stiff." It's like Paul [the Apostle or Saint Paul] working out his salvation with fear and trembling because it's his God who works predestination or free will, sunshine and rain. They're both very needed. It's both/and. Some songs come to me and other ones, I chase them down. Most of the time a spark of beauty or truth will start a fire of a song but fires rarely produce goodness on their own ... you need to control them and put them to work.

TDS: How much does experience play into your songwriting?

FOREMAN: Experience is all I have. I equate song-writing with archeology. Every day you dig. You dig into different places within yourself—even finding places that you've rarely been. And buried within the soil is song. Sometimes the song is average, or derivative, or something you're not proud of. And other times you discover a lost city, something that has always been there. You don't feel as though you wrote it but rather as though you found it.

He also wrote lyrics to a song he wrote:

Push (the human race)

to be honest
i've never been honest
and even now
the truth comes out in stutters and fits
every word that's born is self-conscious
the critic weighs
not truth or fact or fiction but wit

and I know
I'm not that funny
so stop laughing,
laughing

is our human race the collection of
our collective longings to be loved
acted out in fear and pain and push and shove?
push and shove?

so our worth gets wrapped up in opinion
that fickle friend
whose loyalty is subject to change
Is acceptance the target destination?
A broken heart
will follow me as sure as the grave

cause I know
I'm not that funny
so stop laughing
laughing

is our human race the collection of
our collective longings to be loved
acted out in fear and pain and push and shove?
push and shove?

And I began to grin
when my final song was sung
Cause the human race is a race that
can't
be
won


Be sure to read the rest here.

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ONE.org gave a shou-tout to Switchfoot, who gave a shout-out to ONE last night on Jimmy Kimmel.

Last night, longtime ONE members and supporters, Switchfoot appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live playing a cut (Mess With Me) off their new disc Hello Hurricane. It’s a great tune and a really great disc. So it’s worth watching just for the performance.

But it’s really worth watching for the added bonus of seeing lead singer Jon Foreman sporting a ONE shirt during the performance. It’s a great visual shout out.

Check out the video:

See the original blog post here.

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VOTING

Don't forget to take the time to vote! It's not that much of a time-waster (only a couple minutes at most). Also, remember, remember to request "Mess of Me" on your local rock stations. It made a small resurgence this morning, so be sure to help keep the pressure on!

- WRRV

- 98.7 (Los Angeles) Badass 8 We need to continue to put pressure on and get higher! The station is starting to spin the song more... VOTE.

- 91x (San Diego) Christy Taylor's REALLY BIG Countdown Keep requesting each day to keep it on the countdown! We were no. 1 last night. YES!

- RadioU's Top Ten Most Wanted. We still have the top spot! Well done! Let's keep it that way!

- We need to get "Mess of Me" on to KROQ, in order to get this single off the ground. Go HERE to request it! Keep it up friends! Don't slow down, WE NEED THIS. Keep going.

-

Again, go here to see a list of stations already playing "Mess of Me" and phone numbers to call in and request the song with!! This is our time to shine, friends!