Switchfoot sit-down
Ihad the chance to chat with the guys of Switchfoot a few weeks ago while they were in town for a performance at The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu—April 19 to be exact. Pardon me, but I settled for the fan boy questions. Here goes:
LQ3: Take us back to the day you made the riff to Meant To Live.
(I wanted to know what it was like from a guitarist's perspective. I mean, who bends the fourth and third strings, near the headstock, for a riff?)
Jon Foreman: I remember, I just dropped out of school then. And I picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing around with it. Then I thought, ‘hey, this sounds pretty cool.'”
=== LQ3: Jerome, are you related to the Arevalos? Jerome Fontamillas: I am. My mom's side. They're Arevalos.
LQ3: I heard that from a friend before but never had the chance to confirm it. I'm also an Arevalo. Jerome: Wow! A long-lost relative! Drew Shirley: You guys are relatives. Jon: Well! I'd like to introduce you to your cousin! (Laughs)
=== LQ3: The culture and trend of EDM (Electronic Dance Music). How's it treating the band?
Chad Butler: We love remixes and working with other producers and DJs to remix our songs. There have been quite a few of Float. Actually last year, there were several hundred different ones that were submitted that were really great remixes.
Jon: Yeah, I mean, music's gotta change. And for us, we just like to stay true to who we are and embrace the new things that come in.
=== LQ3: Follow-up question: Your album Vice Verses isn't on Spotify?
Jon: It's not on Spotify down here apparently. So we'll look into that. I'll put in a good word for you.
=== LQ3: Are you still believers in the physical format of distributing music? Tim Foreman: I, I love physical... Jon: (Cuts Tim) I believe they exist! I'm still a believer.
Tim: I like holding, you know, something; vinyl, whatever it is. But I'm not forcing that on other people. I understand that, you know, things come and go. The music is what's more important to me.
=== LQ3: What's the secret to the band's longevity? You've been a core team ever since. How did you last that long? Tim: Long walks on the beach. Jon: I think, we love what we do, we love each other. I think, we try to keep ego out of it. And, we try to really pour ourselves into the music, focus on that, rather than the ego. I think the thing that tears people apart, in general, is our ego, right? In any relationship, that's in the core; the ebb and flow of it all. But that's it, there's no secret—it's a gift.
Tim: I think surfing helps! (Laughs)