
11-11-2009, 10:04 AM
|
 |
Ravaged by Grace
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,948
|
|
|
Re: Any Switchfoot fans?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mizpeh
I looked on their website and Facebook page and there is nothing that mentions Jesus Christ at all????
Are you all sure they are Christian or just another hard rock group?
|
Yes, they definitely have faith. This is a quote from Wikipedia:
Switchfoot is often referred to as a "Christian band", mostly due to their continued involvement with the Christian rock scene. The band has always philosophically disagreed with this label: "For us, it's a faith, not a genre", says Jon Foreman. "We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind—and that's what we want".[47] They distribute their music directly to Christian markets, and play larger Christian festivals. Foreman's lyrics steer clear of preachiness, exclusive declarations of faith, or even any mention of Jesus Christ, instead questioning the status quo, probing existential issues through "Socratic dialogue"[48] in which he answers questions with more questions, exploring frustrations, or simply being inspirational. This approach has resulted in Switchfoot sometimes being described as a "thinking person's" band.[49][50] Foreman's poetry is acclaimed by fans and critics alike for its heartfelt honesty, which is evident in his appraisal of the human condition, and in his willingness to not just embrace his faith, but to express doubt as well. "As a musician I guess the only thing I would ask from a listener is to put the CD in, close your eyes and forget about all the peripherals," says Foreman. "I guess that's a dream that may not happen in my lifetime, but I listen to music from all sorts of people and I think there is an open-minded individual who will be able to listen to music of all types."[51] Though they hold this position, they have not alienated their Christian fans. As in their indie days, they are still distributed to Christian retail outlets through Sparrow Records, featured on Christian radio and charts, and presented Dove Awards, even after having been signed to the mainstream Columbia Records. "[Signing to Columbia was] a realization of something that we'd wanted to be from the beginning," Foreman explains. "When we were signed to re:think Records [an indie label], the goal was to get the music out to everybody. [But] when Sparrow [a Christian label] bought re:think Records, it was evident that our music wasn't going to be in the hands of everybody. As a Christian, I have a lot to say within the walls of the church. But also, as a Christian, I've got a lot to say just about life in general ... So to be able to be on Columbia and on Sparrow felt like the realization of the two sides of what we had to say. It's a dream come true to be able to have songs that are outside of the box."[52]
Following the release of The Beautiful Letdown, the band temporarily stopped playing at Christian festivals and doing interviews with Christian based organizations, as they found the speculation about their faith to be distracting from the music. Three years later, Switchfoot began going back on this policy, headlining at large Christian-based music festivals, and agreeing to be featured on the June 2006 cover of CCM Magazine,[53] after declining the opportunity for years.[54] Yet in many ways they used the opportunity to describe their split from the CCM industry. This has caused some, such as Spin writer Andrew Beaujon, to take the view that "their lyrics often have two different meanings, one meaning for a Christian audience and one meaning for the rest of us. They try to relate to two different groups of people at once".
They are using the influence of their faith to those outside the faith. And, doing a great job of it, in my opinion.
__________________
You know you miss me
|