"Switchfoot" has been added to your list of bookmarked artists
close
Switchfoot
Biography
Originally called Chin Up, Switchfoot was formed in 1996 in San Diego, CA, by singer/guitarist Jonathan Foreman and his bassist brother Tim Foreman. With the addition of drummer Chad Butler, the band's name switched to Switchfoot (a surfing term) and they recorded their debut LP, 1997's The Legend of Chin, for Charlie Peacock's re:Think imprint. New Way to Be Human followed two years later; it was a huge hit, with the title track garnering a 1999 Dove Award for Song of the Year. Keyboardist Jerome Fontamillas joined up for 2000's Learning to Breathe, which found Switchfoot taking more steps toward mainstream modern rock. Breathe would prove to be a transition album for the group, and their first to sell over 500,000 copies. Its success, together with their significant presence on the hit soundtrack to the 2002 Mandy Moore vehicle A Walk to Remember, set Switchfoot up for a major-label run. The Beautiful Letdown, their Columbia/RED debut, dropped in spring 2003; it represented the quartet's full evolution toward a more accessible mainstream sound. The album eventually went double platinum on the strength of constant touring and the radio hits "Dare You to Move" and "Meant to Live.