Switchfoot have been around since the late 90’s, sold truckloads of records, won Grammys, shared the stage with Taylor Swift and even wrote a song for the Narnia Chronicles soundtrack – yet it’s possible you’re still not that familiar with their music. Partially that could be because they started out as an indie rock band and their first 3 albums on the small Re:think label were soon swallowed up by a much bigger fish who only marketed them to Christian radio stations and retail outlets.
Hang on, did he just say Christian? So these guys are god rockers? Well yes, and no. The band have never shied away from their beliefs, but at the same time they never set out to say that they’re a Christian rock band. As bass player Tim Foreman told Rolling Stone back in 2003: “We’re Christian by faith, not genre”. Certainly it’s the kind of stance that never hurt a band like U2, yet for some reason Switchfoot seem to have largely flown under the radar.
In the past these San Diego rockers had an edgy, indie guitar sound that might have appealed to a much younger crowd, but on their new album Where The Light Shines Through they may be breaking through to a new audience. The album won’t be out until July 8, but the first taste of it Float sounds very much like a new direction for the band with an instantly catchy groove. The rolling bass line and funky rhythm guitar accompanied by swirling keys are a long way from the crunching rock riffs of their past. The song comes off like a cruising surf and skate soundtrack, apt given that the guys in Switchfoot all surf (hence the band’s name).
The video for Float was filmed on the streets of Manila, featuring several kids from Young Focus Philippines, an NGO that works with underprivileged people. It’s not the first time Switchfoot have worked with a humanitarian cause, having previously lent their support to the ONE campaign, Habitat For Humanity and Invisible Children among others.
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