![\"M-32-switchfoot\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/M-32-switchfoot.jpg\")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\n\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
After 17 years and seven studio records, Grammy-winning Switchfoot looked to shake things up for their new album, Fading West<\/i>. The longtime surfers\u2014the band\u2019s name is a surfing term\u2014traveled to exotic global destinations to ride waves and compose. \u201cThe concept was, \u2018What if we went to these spots around the planet to find that place between danger and safety and the songs that would be written in those environments?\u2019\u201d says frontman Jon Foreman. \u201cAll the songs were born from the journey.\u201d Along the way, Foreman and his bandmates\u2014brother Tim Foreman, Jerome Fontamillas, Drew Shirley and Chad Butler\u2014decided to film the experience.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What was the goal of the album?<\/b><\/p>\n
To challenge ourselves with instrumentation. Drew\u2014the other guitar player\u2014and I had a rule: guitars only as a last resort. Nothing says America or California more than a Fender guitar. But when you\u2019re in Bali or South Africa, it doesn\u2019t seem to fit the landscape. How are you going to express yourself with another instrument? That was a great challenge: to find new ways of expressing melody.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why is challenging yourselves vital?<\/b><\/p>\n
At the end of every record we reassess. You make a record, tour behind it, travel around the globe, and return home. Then you ask, \u201cHow are you going to challenge yourself?\u201d For us that question became even more apropos now that this is our eighth album. I\u2019m continually looking for the good, the true and the beautiful, whether that\u2019s in somebody else\u2019s art form, a rock show, or out surfing. The best songs are those that feel like you didn\u2019t write them at all\u2014they just came to you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How did the film project develop?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
It\u2019s funny because our manager watched the movie and was like, \u201cYou guys just wanted to go surfing, and then you said, \u2018Let\u2019s make a movie\u2019 and talked everyone into it.\u201d You can see the songs being written in the film. A great example of that is in South Africa where we got to hang out with a children\u2019s choir. These kids have the darkest struggle with AIDS and other issues, yet they have this incredible, unassailable hope and joy. That was probably more inspiring than any waves we would come across. You can see that song taking form in the film we\u2019re calling The World You Want<\/i>.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This is your third album working with producer Neal Avron.<\/b><\/p>\n
Neal\u2019s a great musician who\u2019s excited about finding your vision rather than imposing his own vision on you. The other thing is the sonic landscape he brings as an engineer. When you\u2019re in the studio, to know the palette is that wide is reassuring.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You and Tim also co-produced.<\/b><\/p>\n
Yeah, and sometimes there\u2019s definitely arguing. I used to think that was a failure, but now I feel you argue about the things you love passionately. Through the years, the biggest hurdle is trying to leave ego aside and figure out what\u2019s best for the song. That becomes more important than whose idea it was.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Any moments that tested your resolve?<\/b><\/p>\n
Oh man, so many. Every blessing is a curse, and the curse of having your own studio is letting things go. It\u2019s impossible because you have the ability to go back and re-record. The danger is you could lose the magic. You could take something that\u2019s magic, beautiful and human, and turn it into something impeccable that loses the humanity.<\/p>\n
\u2013Steve Rosen<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SWITCHFOOT The surfing rockers travel the world in search of waves\u2014and inspiration\u00a0 \u00a0 After 17 years and seven studio records, Grammy-winning Switchfoot looked to shake things up for their new album, Fading West. The longtime surfers\u2014the band\u2019s name is a surfing term\u2014traveled to exotic global destinations to ride waves and compose. \u201cThe concept was, \u2018What […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[23],"tags":[7403,7407],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12310"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12310"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12314,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12310\/revisions\/12314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}