Switchfoot challenges youth to make a difference

DALLAS—Members of the Christian rock band Switchfoot hope the release of their latest album encourages listeners to dive deeper into the Bible and stand strong during life’s trials.

“Hello Hurricane acknowledges that storms will tear through our lives,” lead singer Jon Foreman said. “This album is an attempt to respond to those storms with an element of hope and trying to understand what it means to be hopeful in a world that keeps on spinning out of control.”

His brother, bass player Tim Foreman, agreed. “Because of Christ, we have a reason to have the faith to keep pressing on when the storms in life come. When the storms come, we have to be prepared to face them by having a solid foundation rooted in God’s word.”

Switchfoot has been a prominent force in Christian rock music more than a decade— selling more than 5 million records, touring around the world, winning a Grammy Award and multiple Dove Awards.

In addition to the Foreman brothers, the band is made up of Chad Butler, Jerome Fontamillas and Drew Shirley. The friends selected a group name based on their mutual interest in surfing.

“We grew up in California and loved to surf. So, it made sense to us that the band name would come from a surfing term,” Jon Foreman explained.

“To switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It’s about change and movement—a different way of approaching life and music.”

Through the years, Switchfoot gained national recognition with performances on television talk shows and having songs prominently featured in movies, such as A Walk to Remember and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. 

By taking their public platform and merging it with their heart for community, the band has worked with a number of relief efforts and humanitarian causes including the ONE Campaign, Habitat for Humanity, Invisible Children and To Write Love on Her Arms. They also founded the Switchfoot Bro-Am Surf Contest, a benefit contest and concert to help raise funds for various organizations serving at-risk and homeless youth in the band’s hometown of San Diego.

The band will perform at the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ Youth Evangelism Conference in Dallas June 24, and band members hope to provide students and young adults a life-changing encounter with God.

During their concerts, band members often share testimonies about how Christ has changed their lives. They also challenge young people to step out of their comfort zones and make a difference in the world.

“We really want our songs to be a vehicle to challenge people to think about what matters most in this world, encourage them to make an impact in big and small ways, and to lead people to Christ,” Tim Foreman said.

“The most important advice I can share with youth is for them to be aware of their limitations and the fact that they need a Savior. Time on this earth is so precious and short. Most of us don’t stop to comprehend what that really means. Most of the time, we end up taking people and situations in our lives for granted. But we need to be focusing on how we can make our lives count for what matters most.”