About Jon Foreman

Jon Foreman is a committed Christian. However, his goal 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".

At the suggestion of a friend, Jon learned to play the guitar in Junior High, and later, helped his brother Tim learn to play the bass. During his high school years, he and Tim played in a variety of local bands, most famously their band 'Etc'. 'Etc' released a self-titled demo (of which only 1000 copies were made), but soon disbanded.

Jon went on and formed the band Chin Up (with Tim and a friend from high school Chad Butler) and the band was quickly signed to an indie label called Re:think, where they changed their name to Switchfoot and recorded an album.

In 2007, though Jon was still making music with Switchfoot, he also began a solo career, releasing four critically acclaimed acoustic EPs, each with 6 songs, and named after the seasons. Fall and Winter (2008) and Spring and Summer (2008).

"Ten years ago, when I actually started making money with my songs I was nervous that the magic would disappear," Jon recalls. "That somehow, the passion, the joy, and the high that I got from music would evaporate with every step I took towards the modern music industry. I'm so thankful that that hasn't happened. I'm so thankful that these songs still mean so much to me. In fact, I am perhaps more drawn to music than ever."

"Lately music has been my compass: it's neither the map, nor the road but a steady constant that can help me make sense of the both.  Most of the time, the songs that I write are more honest than I am. Sometimes I don't play certain songs for people because I'm not ready for that sort of honesty.

I don't write many happy songs, at least not lately. Which is odd because I'm a fairly upbeat guy. So I've got a few theories as to why this might be the case.  It might be because life wears down on you. And you lose that part of yourself.”

“Or it could be because the songs are the only place where these types of ideas can find a release- like a dream where your subconscious is trying to tell you something,” Jon continues.

“Or perhaps I don't write songs when I'm happy. You know, a celebration requires a few friends and depression requires solitude. Either way songs have become my way of finding beauty in the midst of chaos and the pain. It's a way of finding redemption for mistakes and regrets that I have.

In this way I feel like the creative process brings me closer to God. As a creator of a song I get to take all these broken fragments of failure and chaos and weave together something beautiful and meaningful. Decay. Death. Pain. Fall. And if God is a songwriter then these fallen leaves of mine can be redeemed."