Superlatives
A Vulture series in which artists judge the best and worst of their own careers.
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To Jon Foreman, songwriting is a sacred thing.
Music was this safe place where I realized I didnt stutter when I was singing, he remembers.
And I definitely feel that way still.
)Now, Switchfoot is back withinterrobang(named for this emoji: !
), released on August 20.
Favorite Switchfoot song
My answer that I always have is its the song I wrote yesterday.
And that is generally the case, where Im always most excited about the newest thing.
This is back in high school.
Its the most interesting part of anyones tale is that moment of decision, the moment of crisis.
And the irony is that it doesnt really go away.
That every day its with you, and every moment, you decide anew.
Maybe thats my justification for the obsession.
Song you regret
I would most apply regret to production choices.
And I wish we got to represent the truth of [it].
Most surprising new song
Maybe Wolves.
It is a song that weve not known what to do with for a long time.
Song whose meaning has changed the most
That presumes, correctly, that songs can change.
Most unexpected secular hit
Secularimplies that theres a part of the world that isnt religious.
I think that Christianity loses its meaning when it applies to something that can be bought or sold.
A lot of people see the world in black and white [and] put things in boxes.
[He] was, and still is, a civil-rights leader.
To me, that is the Christian message, and I think that, again, thats his religion.
That might be the most surprising song if youre talking with the boxes.
It was a beautiful thing to hear that on the radio.
I write about L.A. a ton, kind of in a love-hate relationship.
I used to live right over there, in the house I was renting.
When I couldnt sleep at night, Id just go out and walk the train tracks.
It was a great place to write no one else around.
Fading West is another song that feels like it absolutely I think its the only song that name-drops California.
Most anthemic song
Theres a song called Where I Belong that has this big anthemic vocal element.
That particular song feels like it has a finality and a gravity to it.
And I do think that is a big part of who we are.
The communal expression of song is part of what drew me to music in the first place.
Between that and church, they both felt like there was this unity.
It wasnt a homogenized unity everyone was distinct, and yet everyone was singing the same thing.
That is absolutely a huge part of why we do what we do.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
