Switchfoot left its Indian fans mesmerised and wanting for more through an eclectic performance featuring their chartbusters and unique fusion with sarangi player Suhail Yusuf Khan. Karan Bhardwaj reports
Everything about them is larger than life, be it their surfing skills or music. So when Switchfoot performed at the Hard Rock Cafe, they set the stage ablaze with their electrifying performance. Fans, in return, complimented to the igniting energy of lead vocalist Jon Foreman who turned out to be bigger maniac than his frenzied audience. The singer crawled over heads, took a ‘singing walkthrough’ and crazily moved over the bar counter. Fans happily took selfies, kissed him on cheek and ruffled his hair.
“It’s sad that this is the last leg of our Indian tour. It’s going to be my off tomorrow so I’m going to blow off my throat tonight,” roared Jon amid loud cheers. He also accepted placards, letters and messages from the audience. “India is so nice to us that we are already planning to return soon,” he said.
The San Diego-based band, that also comprises Jon’s younger brother and bassist Tim Foreman, drummer Chad Butler and multi-instrumentalist Jerome Fontamillas, belted out hits like Dark Horses, love Alone Is Worth The Fight, Dare You To Move, We Are One Tonight and Only Hope among others. They also narrated stories behind lyrics. “Meant To live is so close to my heart. I dropped out from the college, took an apartment on a beach of California. I struggled to survive. I was wondering what we are meant to live for and that’s how the track was produced,” Jon said.
The highlight of the concert was their collaboration with Delhi-based sarangi player and Hindustani vocalist Suhail Yusuf Khan. “They were a part of our growing up years and our whole school experience. Their songs, their words have gotten us through everything — from tough study sessions for exams to teenage heartbreaks. They’ve also just made us groove and sing our hearts out. I was a huge fan of We Are One Tonight, especially the music video but On Fire, for me, is one of their best tracks. Dare You To Move will always be the one that is closest to my heart because it is part of so many memories. I look forward to their new music but it’s hard to dislodge the old favourites because they are such classics,” said Aishani Bansal, who was one amongst the audience.
Here’s a chat with vocalist vocalist Tim Foreman, a rare and treasured experience.
A walk in the journey
A Walk To Remember was a watershed moment for the band...I feel like our progression has been slow and steady, especially for the first two or three records. A Walk To Remember was a turning point and it accelerated our growth and exposed our music to the audience worldwide .
Music is life
Both my parents are musicians. It’s a part of our family. There was never a time when I wasn’t playing something. But I never thought of it as a viable career. It was something that I did as a hobby. It’s amazing that I get to play now and can call it my job. I will always play music whether I get paid or not.
On playing bass
I have a natural attraction for guitar. I’m attracted to all different kinds of instruments, be it piano or bass. And I like to fake it on the drums and other instruments, too. But what I like about bass is its perfect blend between rhythm and melody.
Indian performance
It’s not easy for us to get over here with all our gears. But this is something we always wanted to do. The timing didn’t work out in the past. But the wait was worth it. We are eager to plan our next India tour. Before Delhi, we performed in Mumbai and Pune. We had an amazing time there. I didn’t have specific expectations other than from the fact that it would blow off my mind. India is unlike to any place we have ever been. On our next tour, we would like to get out of the city and explore northern and eastern parts of India. The big cities here are pretty much like any other big cities of the world. We want to explore the real India.
India has a rich legacy
Most of the Indian music that I know has come through The Beatles. They brought Indian music to the rest of the world. I’m a huge Beatles fan. I’m very attracted to classical Indian music, not the regular Bollywood music as it is similar to other music that I grew up listening to. Classical music is exotic. I’m really struck by the contrast of everything. Everything is bright — the colours, the smells, the sounds — everything is larger than life.
Musical philosophy
The music I was always drawn to as a kid was singing about something larger than the world that we all live in and breathe. There’s something beyond that, there’s more to life beyond waking up and going to work, clocking in and clocking out. As a band, we have always written music that’s important to us. The kind of songs that we are going to sing will always be about that thought.
Creative clash is a must
We are together for 17 years and it sounds like a long time. I think we have learnt that creative clashes can take us to new heights. So we deal with it with respect. If the clash is bringing us to a point which sounds bigger than an individual’s perspective, it’s great. As long as you can step back from the clash and respect that every person in the band is fighting for something that they believe in, then that’s a good thing. The worst thing for a band is if they don’t care for each other. Clash is important as it means there’s passion to do something great.