More than a 'Christian' band
Brigid Marshall - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: Arts/mp3s
"Rebuild"
Switchfoot keyboardist Jerome Fontamillas knew what the band was about way before the rest of the world did, when the group broke out in 2002 with the soundtrack for A Walk to Remember and innumerable Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.
The band's impressive 12-year-old career, however, says more about the group's longevity and appeal to music listeners across the country than the Christian tag it has carried since the band's inception - although it is not necessarily a label embraced by the band itself. Because of this, Switchfoot hits up college campuses ranging from Christian schools such as Roberts Wesleyan College to the non-affliated public schools such as the UI.
Tonight, the band, along with British openers Athlete, will take the stage in the IMU second-floor ballroom at 7:30 p.m.
"When we talk about writing a song, we don't talk about putting it into a certain genre," Fontamillas said. "Whatever the song is going toward, we put all our efforts into making the song what it was meant to be. We're going to let it grow and speak for itself."
The group's music, although it takes on concepts of faith and love, doesn't fear straying from those themes or from the big-name label that took the band to major success. Frontman Jon Foreman announced in August 2007 the band's split with Columbia Records in favor of a label the Switchfoot guys created themselves, Lowercase People, after the release of sixth studio album, Oh! Gravity, in 2006.
And like all successful acts, Switchfoot loves to tour, and not necessarily with bands that fit the same style or tone of music. The UK's Athlete has shared the stage with it for the past few months.
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