New songs inspired through relaxed creative process

Switchfoot, the San Diego-based rock band that’s proven to be one of Christian music’s most successful crossover acts, returns to the spotlight with the group’s ninth studio project, Fading West (075678683824, $13.99), releasing Jan. 14 from Atlantic Records (Word Distribution). 

Approaching the record after the band’s 17 years together, including double-Platinum success from breakthrough release The Beautiful Letdown, frontman Jon Foreman said the challenge was to do something fresh and new while still maintaining the group’s identity.

“The point became, ‘What are we going to do to push ourselves?’ “ he said. “Could we take ourselves somewhere we’d never been before, yet achieve a feeling of comfort at the same time? How do we go to a new place that feels like home?”

To find inspiration, band members took to their surfboards while touring in support of their previous release Vice Verses. According to co-founder and bassist Tim Foreman, “the idea was to surf, write songs, play music and see what ideas came.”

Songs birthed during that creative process include “Worth the Fight,” “All or Nothing,” “Slipping Away” and debut single “Love Alone Is Worth the Fight,” which broke records when released on Christian Hit Radio (CHR) charts in the fall. The album closes with songs distinctly inspired by water, “Salt Water” and “Back to the Beginning.” The comfort of the water and the potential danger served as a fitting metaphor for the album’s theme. 

“You’re comfortable out there, but it’s the unknown,” Foreman said. “You can paddle out in South Africa, and it’s exactly like home and nothing like home all at once. That’s what I’m hoping our record feels like—trying to find peace in dangerous places.”

A film, also titled Fading West, coincides with the new release. The film was screened on the band’s tour as well as on demand and through digital outlets. It is described as “pock documentary, part surf film and part travelogue.” 

To order Fading West, call Word Distribution at 800-876-WORD (9673).

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