Jon Foreman
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Mark Foreman is the lead singer
, lead guitarist, main songwriter
and co-founder of the alternative rock
band Switchfoot
. He started Switchfoot in 1996 with drummer
Chad Butler
and bassist
Tim Foreman
(Jonathan's brother).
Foreman was born in San Bernardino County, California
, but his family moved to Massachusetts and Virginia Beach during his childhood. There he became fast friends with Todd Cooper, who encouraged him to learn guitar. Cooper was later a guitar tech for Switchfoot, although he left in 2005 to pursue his own musical career. After several years, Foreman and his family moved back to Southern California, this time settling in San Diego. He graduated from San Dieguito Academy
in the North County Coastal area of San Diego, California. Foreman attended UC San Diego
and later dropped out to follow his singing career.
with his wife, Emily.
Jon Foreman is a committed evangelical Christian, however, his goal with Switchfoot has always been to make music for all people. "For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind — and that's what we want".
, U2
, The Police
, James Taylor
, The Beatles
, Radiohead
, Bach
, Ronny Jordan
, Miles Davis
, Keith Green
, Nirvana
, Johnny Cash
, Bob Dylan
, and Led Zeppelin
as some of his musical influences. In 2001 he was awarded the "Les Paul
Horizon Award" for the most promising up-and-coming guitarist at the annual Orville H. Gibson
Guitar Awards in Los Angeles.
for Switchfoot, Foreman has also made musical contributions away from the band, including writing with San Diego/Orange County based singer-songwriter Molly Jenson
. Foreman has also contributed to the books The Art of Being and New Way to be Human, the latter written by producer Charlie Peacock
. He also appeared on Relient K
's 2007 album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago
, lending his vocal talents to the song "Deathbed." In September 2009, Jazz musician Karl Denson
released the album "Brother's Keeper" in which two songs were co-written by Foreman, and one song, "Drums of War", was solely written by Foreman. Foreman also provided his vocals in accompaniment with Denson on the song "Drums of War".
member Sean Watkins
started collaborating on a duo project originally called "The Real SeanJon," which was later renamed "Fiction Family
." Their self-titled debut was released January 20, 2009.
"The album was recorded and written in parts because Nickel Creek and Switchfoot are both hard working, touring acts, we were rarely home from tour at the same time," says Foreman. "Consequently the tracks were passed back and forth between Sean and I. Whoever was home from tour would chip away at the songs with no real expectations at all, mainly just for ourselves and for the love of the song I suppose. We came up with a few cowboy rules for the project: No double tracking. No pussyfooting. No tuning of vocals."
in a partnership with Switchfoot's imprint record label, lowercase people records
. In October 2008, Foreman released a collection of songs from his seasonal EPs along with two new tracks. The collection is entitled Limbs and Branches
. In April 2009, he was GMA Dove Award-nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year.
, mostly on some of the band's first albums such as The Legend of Chin
, New Way to Be Human
, and Learning to Breathe.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, lead guitarist, main songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and co-founder of the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Switchfoot
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
. He started Switchfoot in 1996 with drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Chad Butler
Chad Butler
Chad Matthew Butler is the drummer for the band Switchfoot which he co-founded along with Jon and Tim Foreman in 1996...
and bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Tim Foreman
Tim Foreman
Timothy David Foreman is the bassist for the band Switchfoot. He was born in Lake Arrowhead, California but grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and Virginia Beach, Virginia...
(Jonathan's brother).
Foreman was born in San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
, but his family moved to Massachusetts and Virginia Beach during his childhood. There he became fast friends with Todd Cooper, who encouraged him to learn guitar. Cooper was later a guitar tech for Switchfoot, although he left in 2005 to pursue his own musical career. After several years, Foreman and his family moved back to Southern California, this time settling in San Diego. He graduated from San Dieguito Academy
San Dieguito Academy
San Dieguito AcademyPrincipalTim HornigSchool typePublicFounded1936LocationEncinitas, California, United StatesEnrollment1,528Faculty115Campus surroundingsSuburbanMascotMustangNewspaperThe MustangYearbook...
in the North County Coastal area of San Diego, California. Foreman attended UC San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
and later dropped out to follow his singing career.
Personal life
One of Foreman's favorite pastimes is surfing, and when not on tour, he resides in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
with his wife, Emily.
Jon Foreman is a committed evangelical Christian, however, his goal with Switchfoot has always been to make music for all people. "For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind — and that's what we want".
Influences
Foreman cites Elliott SmithElliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, Ronny Jordan
Ronny Jordan
Ronny Jordan is a guitarist at the forefront of the acid jazz movement at the end of the twentieth century. Additionally, Jordan can be included in several other jazz genres such as urban jazz, jazz funk, crossover jazz, and smooth jazz...
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Keith Green
Keith Green
Keith Gordon Green was an American gospel singer, songwriter, musician, and Contemporary Christian Music artist originally from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. Beyond his music, Green is best known for his strong devotion to Christian evangelism and challenging others to the same...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
as some of his musical influences. In 2001 he was awarded the "Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
Horizon Award" for the most promising up-and-coming guitarist at the annual Orville H. Gibson
Orville Gibson
Orville H. Gibson was a luthier who founded the Gibson Guitar Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1896, makers of guitars, mandolins and other instruments....
Guitar Awards in Los Angeles.
Side projects
Besides being the main songwriterSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
for Switchfoot, Foreman has also made musical contributions away from the band, including writing with San Diego/Orange County based singer-songwriter Molly Jenson
Molly Jenson
Molly Jenson is a singer/songwriter from Southern California. She won the award for "Best Acoustic Act" at the 2007 San Diego Music Awards. In April 2007, Teen Vogue Magazine named her "One of the three best new artists on MySpace". In 2007, she collaborated with Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman...
. Foreman has also contributed to the books The Art of Being and New Way to be Human, the latter written by producer Charlie Peacock
Charlie Peacock
Charlie Peacock is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, session musician and author. While growing up in California Peacock was inspired by John Coltrane and began playing the piano. After completing his education, Peacock formed a band and began a career as a professional...
. He also appeared on Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
's 2007 album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Five Score and Seven Years Ago
Five Score and Seven Years Ago is the fifth full-length album by the Christian rock band Relient K. It was released on March 6, 2007, and is the first full-length album by the band to feature bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck. It is also the first Relient K album released without...
, lending his vocal talents to the song "Deathbed." In September 2009, Jazz musician Karl Denson
Karl Denson
Karl Denson is a funk and jazz saxophonist, flutist and vocalist from San Diego, California. He was a member of Lenny Kravitz's band and has co-founded and led The Greyboy Allstars. Denson has recorded with artists including Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Blind Boys of Alabama, Blackalicious,...
released the album "Brother's Keeper" in which two songs were co-written by Foreman, and one song, "Drums of War", was solely written by Foreman. Foreman also provided his vocals in accompaniment with Denson on the song "Drums of War".
Fiction Family
In 2006, Foreman and Nickel CreekNickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
member Sean Watkins
Sean Watkins
Sean Charles Watkins is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He is a member of the contemporary folk band Nickel Creek, the duo Fiction Family and the supergroup Works Progress Administration.-Nickel Creek:...
started collaborating on a duo project originally called "The Real SeanJon," which was later renamed "Fiction Family
Fiction Family
Fiction Family is a musical collaboration between Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman and Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins. The duo's self-titled, full-length album was released on January 20, 2009....
." Their self-titled debut was released January 20, 2009.
"The album was recorded and written in parts because Nickel Creek and Switchfoot are both hard working, touring acts, we were rarely home from tour at the same time," says Foreman. "Consequently the tracks were passed back and forth between Sean and I. Whoever was home from tour would chip away at the songs with no real expectations at all, mainly just for ourselves and for the love of the song I suppose. We came up with a few cowboy rules for the project: No double tracking. No pussyfooting. No tuning of vocals."
Solo project
Foreman has also worked on various solo projects, independently releasing four EPs, titled Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. For the project, Foreman teamed with Credential RecordingsCredential Recordings
Credential Recordings is a Nashville-based record label, focusing generally on the pop rock genre. It began branching out when it agreed on a distribution agreement with Lowercase people records for Switchfoot singer Jon Foreman's solo EPs, which tend to be more folk-acoustic in style...
in a partnership with Switchfoot's imprint record label, lowercase people records
Lowercase people records
lowercase people records is the record label founded and run by the members of the band Switchfoot. It was founded after the band split with their major label, Columbia/SonyBMG. The label's name was drawn from the lyrics of a song written early in the band's career, "Company Car" from 1999's New...
. In October 2008, Foreman released a collection of songs from his seasonal EPs along with two new tracks. The collection is entitled Limbs and Branches
Limbs and Branches
Limbs and Branches is a compilation release from singer/songwriter Jon Foreman that was released October 28, 2008. It consists of a selection of songs from Foreman's previous solo EP releases, handpicked by Foreman and his fans, who were given a chance to vote for which songs to be included....
. In April 2009, he was GMA Dove Award-nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year.
Songwriting style
Foreman's songwriting tends to be very dynamic, and he often employs a wide range of different instrumentation, including, but not limited to: guitar, violin, cello, trumpet, mandolin, sitar, flute, saxophone, clarinet, synthesizer, piano, miscellaneous percussion, and harmonica. Foreman has always aimed to use interesting instrumentation when writing for SwitchfootSwitchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
, mostly on some of the band's first albums such as The Legend of Chin
The Legend of Chin
The Legend of Chin is the first studio album by the alternative rock band Switchfoot. It was released on June 17, 1997 under independent label re:think Records, which was distributed by Sparrow Records.-Track listing:...
, New Way to Be Human
New Way to Be Human
New Way to Be Human is the second studio album by the band Switchfoot. It was released on March 11, 1999 under independent label re:think Records, which was distributed by Sparrow Records...
, and Learning to Breathe.
Solo discography
- FallFall (Jon Foreman EP)Fall is the first EP released by Jon Foreman, frontman of the San Diego rock band Switchfoot. Foreman announced on his MySpace blog that the EP was initially to be released to iTunes and online at jonforeman.com and amazon.com on November 27, 2007. It was released on iTunes and Amazon a week...
(November 27, 2007) - WinterWinter (Jon Foreman EP)Winter is the second EP released by Jon Foreman, frontman of the San Diego rock band Switchfoot. The EP was released on Tuesday, January 15, 2008, as either a digital download or as a physical copy packaged with the Fall EP in a double-disc set....
(January 15, 2008) - SpringSpring (Jon Foreman EP)Spring is the third in a comprehensive 4-EP collection released by Jon Foreman, the singer/songwriter of the San Diego rock band Switchfoot. It was released as a digital download on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, peaking at #12 on the overall iTunes albums chart, and #2 on the "Rock" albums chart...
(March 25, 2008) - SummerSummer (Jon Foreman EP)Summer is the fourth and final installment in a comprehensive 4-EP acoustic collection released by Jon Foreman, the lead singer/songwriter of the San Diego rock band Switchfoot....
(June 10, 2008) - Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer (Vinyl Collection) (October 28, 2008)
- Limbs and BranchesLimbs and BranchesLimbs and Branches is a compilation release from singer/songwriter Jon Foreman that was released October 28, 2008. It consists of a selection of songs from Foreman's previous solo EP releases, handpicked by Foreman and his fans, who were given a chance to vote for which songs to be included....
(October 28, 2008)
Singles
- "The Cure for PainThe Cure for Pain"The Cure For Pain" is the first single from singer/songwriter Jon Foreman's debut solo EP, Fall. It was "released" Monday, December 10, 2007 as a free download on popular networking site Myspace's homepage. confirmed it as a single. -Song story:...
" (2007) - "Your Love Is StrongYour Love Is Strong"Your Love Is Strong" is a single from singer/songwriter Jon Foreman's Spring EP, as well as his first full album, the compilation entitled Limbs and Branches. It was confirmed as a radio single by EMI/CMG's promotion blog, and was released to Christian radio formats only...
" (2008)
Other appearances
- Spirit - X Worship 2006
- Desire - Noise RatchetNoise RatchetNoise Ratchet were an alternative Rock band originating from California.Noise Ratchet began as a pop punk/ska band in February 1997 in San Diego, California. In 1998, they released their first independent album, Never Going Back, at Youth Wave 1998 while opening for P.O.D. The Supertones, Stavesacre...
's Noise Ratchet [EP] - Someday We'll KnowSomeday We'll Know"Someday We'll Know" is a song by the New Radicals. It was released in May 1999 as the second single off their album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too and the follow-up to the smash "You Get What You Give"...
(New RadicalsNew RadicalsNew Radicals were an American pop rock band active in the late 1990s, centered on frontman Gregg Alexander, who wrote and produced all of their songs and was the sole constant member...
cover with Mandy MooreMandy MooreAmanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
) - Sony - A Walk to Remember Soundtrack - Deathbed - Relient KRelient KRelient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
's Five Score and Seven Years AgoFive Score and Seven Years AgoFive Score and Seven Years Ago is the fifth full-length album by the Christian rock band Relient K. It was released on March 6, 2007, and is the first full-length album by the band to feature bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck. It is also the first Relient K album released without... - Your Cheatin' HeartYour Cheatin' Heart"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by the American country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams in 1952, but released after his death in 1953.. It is often considered one of his greatest songs, and one of the great songs of country music...
(Hank Williams cover) - Sony/ATV Nashville Classic Covers: Volume One - Birthright - Sleeping At LastSleeping at LastSleeping at Last is an indie rock band that was originally formed in 1999 in Wheaton, Illinois. Lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan O'Neal is the sole member of the band. The group built a significant local following and opened for bands such as Kill Hannah and Plain White T's, attracting...
's March EP