Nearly three decades into a career defined by fearless creativity and enduring impact, GRAMMY-winning rock band Switchfoot continues to reach new heights musically with the release of their highly anticipated new album, Forever Now, available everyw here today via By Design/BMG. Produced by longtime collaborator and accomplished producer Mike Elizondo and recorded largely in part at Elizondo’s Phantom Studios on the outskirts of Nashville, Forever Now is the most thematic and narrative-driven album of Switchfoot’s already storied career, spanning 13 tracks that are both sonically and lyrically provocative.
“So much of our human experience is centered around control,” Jon Foreman, lead vocalist and founding member of Switchfoot, said. “The beauty of the medium of music is that when you release an album, you’re relinquishing control. I think that can be a frightening thing. It can be misinterpreted or misunderstood. But my hope is to embrace this next season as if the record was made by a 14-year-old who just picked up the guitar and started playing Led Zeppelin. To have that same joy.”
Bookended by the fiery opening track “Wake Up, Mr. Crow” – which was released back in March – and the tantalizing closer, “The Butterfly Effect,” the band’s 14th full-length studio LP centers on the emotional roller coaster of a person’s final day on Earth, and more specifically, the questions one might ask themselves if confronted with the harsh but potentially enlightening reality. The band drew inspiration from some of the world’s most notable novelists such as Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky for the album’s throughline, specifically their ability to live through their characters as opposed to being confined to their personal reality.
“It feels like the modern musical experience is ‘If it didn’t happen to you, you shouldn’t be singing about it,'” explains Jon Foreman. “When I read Dostoevsky, I’m reminded that all those characters, they are him, those are his inner voices fighting it out. That was a big revelatory moment for me — to be able to say ‘Why couldn’t I do that in a song? Why couldn’t I have this same representation and drama with characters in a song?'”
One of alternative rock’s most celebrated acts, the California-bred band channels the spirit that first inspired them to pick up guitars, delivering their boldest and most guitar-driven collection to date. Calling it a homecoming of sorts to return to playing loud, the band chose to embrace “big hooks, big guitars and big themes.” The album’s lead single “Absolution” reflects this spirit, currently impacting Alternative radio, while the classic “Switchfoot sound” is captured in standout track “Beautiful Life.” Both songs are intense vehicles for self-reflection about the breadth and quality of one’s life.
Earlier this week, the band was invited to make their Grand Ole Opry debut on July 23 in Nashville, returning to the city w here the majority of the album was recorded. The surprise was made extra special by longtime friends, the Jonas Brothers, sharing the news with Switchfoot during their recent appearance on the iHeartPodcast “Hey Jonas!,” out now on the iHeartRadio app and anyw here podcasts are heard. Watch the episode here.
In addition to their Opry debut next month, the band will take their captivating live show to fans across the country this fall on their headlining Forever Now Tour with special guest Anberlin. Named after the new record, the tour will hit 38 cities with stops in major markets like Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville and more. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. In addition to the fall tour, Switchfoot recently hosted their annual Bro-Am Beach Fest, raising over $300,000 for the Switchfoot Bro-Am Foundation, which is dedicated to giving back to the local community by heightening the profile of and providing grants to nonprofit organizations that support services to unhoused, at-risk and disadvantaged youth, with a special focus on programs related to music, art and surfing. For more information, please visit switchfoot.com.
Forever Now Tracklist:
1. “Wake Up, Mr. Crow”
(Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman)
2. “Absolution”
(Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman)
3. “Beautiful Life”
(Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman)
4. “Shake The Dust”
(Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman, Mike Elizondo)
5. “Natural Causes”
(Jon Foreman)
6. “YFWYA”
(Jon Foreman)
7. “Same Blood”
(Jon Foreman)
8. “Ride Or Die”
(Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman)
9. “Darkness”
(Jon Foreman)
10. “Broken Wings”
(Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman)
11. “Two Twins”
(Jon Foreman)
12. “Breaking Up Again”
(Jon Foreman)
13. “The Butterfly Effect”
(Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman)