Switchfoot Drummer Names His Favorite Song to Play Live

2011-11-13

Story by Cat Badra

Christian rockers Switchfoot say, Dark Horses, covers new ground

Switchfoot’s latest album, Vice Verses, charts new territory for the California Christian rock guys, with straightforward alternative rock anthems and an edgier, gutsier delivery than on 2009’s Hello Hurricane or 2003’s The Beautiful Letdown. With 12 tracks of melodic bliss, Dark Horses is a testament to Switchfoot’s commitment to evolving and staying fresh as a musical collective. Drummer Chad Butler seconds that idea of Switchfoot breaking out of their pop-rock mold and reaching for variety of genres and styles on, Dark Horses.

Speaking with On Milwaukee, Butler explained that although Switchfoot are known for crunchy guitar riffs, on Dark Horses, the guys “wanted to start with the bass and drums and add guitars later, and it’s an intentional thing to try to give the songs that heartbeat and that pulse that had a little bit more of the Motown and hip-hop sensibility of the music that we appreciate, that we grew up listening to.” He added that he grew up listening to “Motown, Stevie Wonder and also, when I got older and listening to hip-hop records, A Tribe Called Quest. There’s that side to our band that we’ve never explored before and there’s even songs where we went all the way there with Jon rapping on top of a beat.”

As for what’s Bulter’s favorite song to perform live, the answer is easy: Switchfoot’s current single, “Vice Verses.” “We’ve been playing it on tour for over a year now and we really worked it out in a live setting before we recorded it to try to get the bass and drums really focused in, locked in together, and push the music to match the intensity of the lyric. It’s an important song to me lyrically. It’s about homeless kids in San Diego and we wanted the music to match that intensity.”

Switchfoot guitarist and keyboard player Jerome Fontamillas recently told Audio Ink Radio that the band’s commitment to their faith is big. “It’s who we are. It’s what shapes our beliefs, and it shows in the songs,” he said. “We’re not one of those bands who plays music that sounds like you’re going to church, but it’s about being a human being and writing songs about life and what you believe in. That’s how the songs come for us, and that’s what we believe.” Read the full interview with Fontamillas on the interviews page. (Photo credit: Tom Stone via Big Hassle.)

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.

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