Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A Tribute to Switchfoot


Every so often, a band comes along that you just resonate with; a band that puts a voice to the questions you’ve wrestled with over and over in your mind. This band, for me, is Switchfoot.

Described as music for thinkers, Switchfoot sings from a beautiful, sincere place, often more mulling over questions than answers in their lyrics, and asking the hard-hitting questions we tend to shy away from or sweep under the rug. Contrasting their contemplative-natured lyrics, they also inspire listeners to reach for so much more out of life, than just surviving or scraping by each day.

I’ve been following Switchfoot for a good couple of years now - ever since their album New Way to Be Human, and to say that I’m beyond excited that they will be playing again in my town on their Vice Verses tour in just over a week is a HUGE understatement! Last time I heard them was in a school hall in Stellenbosch many years ago – it was a very touching and moving concert, with children affected by Aids (many orphans as they had lost their parents to Aids), singing their song “Dare You To Move” – somehow those lyrics took on even more significance and depth with these kids singing them.

So, here is my small tribute and thank you to Switchfoot, for inspiring me to embrace the questions of life instead of running from them, and to embrace and live each moment fully, to use my talents and to be a blessing instead of a curse in this world.

While I was still studying at college, in my second year, we were asked to create a storyboard of a 60 second clip of any track of music of our choice. I chose the song "Adding to the Noise" off their Beautiful Letdown album.

I had great fun imagining each clip way back then - hope you like! (click on the pics to see them big).