Biography of switchfoot

The Southern California -based Christian rock band Switchfoot never thought their music would reach tens of thousands of fans worldwide — or that it would propel them to fame. It just worked out that way.

Switchfoot controversy

A year later, the pair was joined by their mutual friend, drummer Chad Butler. After playing only 20 gigs together the trio signed with the Christian re:Think record label and released their debut album, Legend of Chin. Avid surfers from childhood, brothers Jon and turned to the sport when it came time to choose a name for their band.

Switchfooting, Jon explained on the Jesus Freak Hideout website in , "means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. In addition to surfing, attending school and playing in the band, the boys held odd jobs — Jon worked as a sound-company employee, Tim worked in coffee shop, Chad was a surfing instructor, and Jerome milked cows. After spending seven years on smaller Christian labels and being marketed solely as a Christian rock band, Switchfoot was ready for a change.

Standing by their word, the band's sophomore effort, New Way to Be Human broke musical barriers and the won fans for the band across the musical spectrum. The band also made a cameo appearance in the made-for-TV film, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye in , which also featured two of their songs. With their lineup complete, Switchfoot recorded their third album, Learning to Breathe, in , which earned the group their first Grammy nomination and won two San Diego Music Awards that same year.

Unlike most bands with a major label deal, the band had complete creative control over the album because it was written and recorded it independently the preproduction was done in Jon's bedroom before it was purchased by Columbia. It was produced by John Fields who has worked with artist Andrew W. Beautiful Letdown entered the Billboard top albums chart at number 85, while the single "Meant To Live" inspired by T.

Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men" helped break the band into the mainstream, peaking at number five on the Billboard modern rock chart and number two on the top contemporary Christian chart.