Switchfoot Requests Prayer for Band Member with Cancer

Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman shared a letter via social media this morning, informing fans of some "sobering news" concerning band member Jerome Fontamillas. "He has cancer. One of Jerome's kidneys has a large mass on it that has been growing for quite some time. The good news is that the cancer has not spread to his other organs. Removing one of his kidneys will hopefully be the first and final cure for Jerome's fight with cancer. The surgeons and the medical team have been incredibly accommodating, making sure that the surgery was scheduled as soon as possible," Jon shared.

"At the end of the month, Jerome will undergo surgery. He is making the best out of a hard situation. He's in good spirits and is facing all of this bravely, (with his signature smile and laughter intact!). He wanted me to reach out to the beautiful community that has supported our band in the highs and lows to inform all of you of the situation. We hope that many of you will join us in praying for Jerome and his family during this difficult season. I'm always blown away by the incredible community that sings these songs with us. Time and time again you will find ways to encourage, strengthen, and rally around the folks that need it the most," Foreman concluded.

The letter wrapped up with a note from Jerome: "I wanted to tell this community firsthand what is going on. It's hard to think about being on the sidelines while we release this album. But the songs have meant so much to me, even through this experience. We've been through so much as a band. This is just one more mountain to climb, one more storm to weather. I know we'll get to the other side.  And I look forward to having more reasons to be thankful when all of this is behind us. We will give you an update when we have news to tell you. Thanks again for years of love and support. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you, we look forward to telling you some good news in the near future."

Click here to read the full letter, and follow Switchfoot on social media for continued updates as we join Switchfoot in praying for Jerome.                  

Switchfoot Ends Hiatus; Teases New Music

Much to the excitement of fans, today Switchfoot announced that they are officially ending their hiatus. Through a series of social media teaser posts over the past few days and a video first unveiled to their email list today, it seems that the band is gearing up for their 11th studio album.

"I've loved every minute of my time off, but the music is chasing us down. I've heard it said that beauty is a battlefield for God and the devil. For us, music is how we throw punches. And it's time to step back into the ring," frontman Jon Foreman shares in the video. Though we don't have any details yet about exactly what's to come, we're left with a promise to close the video: "to be continued...10/19/2018."

Jon Foreman, Dustin Kensrue (Thrice), Propaganda and Aaron Marsh Perform for Mental Health Charity

Jon Foreman (Switchfoot), Dustin Kensrue (Thrice), Propaganda and Aaron Marsh (Copeland) performed a live collaborative cover of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down." 

The performance occurred as part of Heavy and Light, an annual concert event hosted by the organization To Write Love On Her Arms. All of the musicians have been longterm partners with the charity, which aims to raise awareness, support and fund treatment around issues of mental illness and addiction. 

Each of the vocalists took a section of the song, and Propaganda added a freestyle spoken word verse to the Tom Petty classic. Also on stage with the musicians were opening band Nekokat and Josh Morales, an audience member and amateur guitarist who Jon Foreman had invited to share the stage with him.

After the completion of "I Won't Back Down," which was the encore for the evening, Jon Foreman suggested the artists all stay on stage for a group performance of "Lean On Me," which concluded the night. Foreman, who has been involved with the event since it began a decade ago, said of the evening "What an amazing night! My favorite #HeavyAndLight ever."

You can find a full stream of the entire evening on TWLOHA's Facebook page by clicking here.          

                     

 

Switchfoot Disbanding?

Switchfoot recently celebrated 20 years together as a band this year, and now the guys are announcing "For the first time in twenty years, we are taking an extended break...As this year ends, we're entering into a new season, a season of home." Drummer Chad Butler wrote in a blog entry on the band's website this week.

The band posted a handwritten copy of the blog post announcement on their Facebook page. "It has been an honor to be YOUR band. These are YOUR songs, not just our own. Thank you. Truly. You have no idea how much you've inspired us through the years."

"We are brothers, sons, husbands, fathers, and for now, we are home. We're embracing this new season with open arms and excitement, strengthening the roots that have made us who we are. We do have a few shows already scheduled for next year that we will play but beyond that we will be off the road for the foreseeable future...this hiatus is a celebration of where we've been together. Thank you for being such a huge part of our journey."
 

Switchfoot Collaborates with Lauren Daigle

Switchfoot recently released a re-imagined version of their single "I Won't Let You Go" as a beautiful collaboration with Lauren Daigle. I first discovered it prior to the airing of Mully in its limited run in theatres.

Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman shrared on Instagram: "@lauren_daigle has one of the most beautiful voices on the planet. She visited our studio to write some tunes and collaborate a few months back...WARNING: listen in a safe place where you can quietly shed tears of joy. You're amazing, Lauren!" Foreman posted the cover for the single, along with a link for a temporary free download of the song.

The idea for the collaboration began at Switchfoot's BRO-AM event, an annual benefit concert for homeless and at-risk youth in San Diego, when the band persuaded Daigle to sing with them on stage. Several songs were thrown in the mix while they were deciding which song to sing together, but in the end, "I Won't Let You Go" was chosen.

"For me, when I wrote that song, I was thinking of Love Himself -- the transcendent maker of time and space -- singing 'I won't let you go' to me. To be able to hear somebody else singing those lyrics -- and Lauren's voice is so amazing -- it felt like a beautiful chance to kind of enter into the song in a different way," Foreman said about the collaboration.

Lauren described the experience on her YouTube channel, "As we were singing the song all together, there was just such a feel in the air... the guys were just so encouraging about all of it and they said, 'Hey, would you like to come jump into the studio next week and we can record this just for fun?'... I think as the time unfolded, as the experience unfolded, we realized, whoa, this has the potential to be something a little bit more than just us messing around in the studio." She continued, "I just loved their openness to collaborate. It was so much fun! There was so much excitement in the room that we just had to share it with all of ya'll."

Jon Foreman Gives TEDx Talk On Living Life as a Song

Switchfoot singer Jon Foreman took the stage at University of Nevada to give a TEDx talk on the subject of wonder & living your life that only you have been given.

Foreman performed "Only Hope," "Terminal" and "Dare You to Move" with cellist Keith Tutt in addition to sharing his thoughts. The talk centered around the idea of living life like a song-- a concept previously expressed in Switchfoot's "Where I Belong." You can watch the talk below.



The singer explained "Music is a metaphor for the human story here on the planet. Your song is important, needed, and no one else can sing it for you."

Police Dare Switchfoot Singer to Move

A police officer shut down an impromptu concert by Switchfoot front man Jon Foreman Sunday night, escorting him away from a group of fans outside a Tampa amphitheater. The crowd showed up when Foreman tweeted to fans, asking them to meet him after the show.

Switchfoot played a concert with the Goo Goo Dolls at the 1-800 Ask-Gary Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds Sunday.

"Many times on tour I play after our show when time allows. The after-shows are all about the love of the music -- all acoustic: no amps, no mics, no tickets, just a couple tunes and whoever wants to listen. I see it as a chance to connect with music in a different way. Over the years, I've had a few policeman shut these after-shows down. Maybe they are nervous because these types of gatherings are unusual," Foreman said in an e-mail to CNN Monday.

Video of the incident posted on YouTube shows Foreman playing a couple of songs on an acoustic guitar with a collection of fans around him when the officer walks up and says, "It's over. It's over. C'mon, let's go."

The officer identified himself as "Fisher" when Foreman asked who he was and offered to shake his hand. After the small crowd mildly protested, asking if one more song could be played, and Foreman hesitated to leave, the officer said, "If I call somebody over here, we will be forcing you out. So what do you want to do?"

The smiling Foreman offered his hand again, which the officer shook, and escorted the singer away. "Thank you, Jon," several fans shouted as the crowd applauded.

"The officer last night wouldn't give me a reason for shutting it down, he only said that he had a family to go home to," Foreman told CNN. I respect the authorities, they have a difficult job."

"I love playing on the big stages in front of thousands of folks, it feels like a megaphone. It's how I pay the bills and it's the best job in the world. But I also love playing for just a few folks for free. It feels like a whisper." Foreman said of the intimate post-show gatherings he sometimes calls via Twitter.