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Acclaimed Switchfoot front man Jon Foreman
releases his highly anticipated and widely acclaimed Spring and Summer
double EP this week on lowercase people records / Credential Recordings /
EMI CMG. The double EP follows the June 10 digital release of the Summer EP,
which launched to No. 162 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 12 on the Digital
Album sales charts in its first week out.
Having sold millions of albums and performed for numerous sold out crowds
with his band Switchfoot, Jon is a man still journeying towards
self-discovery, unafraid of questioning anything in his path. Through his
Fall and Winter, and now Spring and Summer EPs, he shows a whole new side to
his artistry. And the critics are lauding the resulting efforts:
"The EPs are a return to a renewed emphasis on Foreman's remarkably and
consistently perceptive lyrics, as well as the types of soundscapes which
best frame his impassioned vocals." – PopMatters
"Jon Foreman in the last couple of years has mastered the skill of being
brutally honest in the lyrics he sings, yet never letting the poetic element
suffer." – The Album Project (in a 5 out of 5 review)
"Foreman displays brilliant sonic works of art for those willing to enter
into his solo gallery." – CCMmagazine.com
"It appears he's gone out on his own, into nature, into a stark, jutting
precipice, to think about life, heaven and the pursuit of happiness - him
and his guitar. The product is earthly introspection compacted into 4 album
EPs." – RCRD LBL, April 2008
"…Foreman uses relatively obscure scripture as the source for meaningful,
sometimes worshipful songs. By the same turn, Foreman changes up familiar
passages (such as Psalm 23 and the Lord's Prayer) into something fresh and
new sounding. It goes to show that oft-used source material can become
revitalized in the hands of a master songwriter like Foreman…" –
ChristianMusicToday.com
"What's great about Jon Foreman is his originality of ideas, and the way he takes conceptual music styles and makes them tangible." – Aced Magazine
"If there's something we've come to expect from EP to EP from Jon Foreman,
it's that each one will include introspective criticism, a poetic look at
love and loss, and an artistic view of spirituality, God, or the church." –
JesusFreakHideout.com
"Switchfoot lead vocalist/guitarist has channeled his inner Vivaldi to take
the power of four to a new level by recording a quartet of six-song
EPs..." – San Diego Citybeat
"Jon Foreman is a superlative songwriter. Lyrically, these EPs impress over
and over." – BlogCritics Magazine
"The seasonal artistic responses of Jon Foreman absolutely come alive on the
final two of four entries, Spring and Summer…Foreman displays brilliant
sonic works of art for those willing to enter into his solo gallery." –
Soul-Audio.com
Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer each serve as a chapter of Foreman's
stripped down, intimate and direct vision. It is one that begins with a
foray into death and decay, but eventually transforms into reflections on
growth and rebirth. All four discs were produced by Foreman with
Grammy-nominated Charlie Peacock serving as the executive producer. Notably,
the song "The Cure For Pain," from Fall, was used in the season finale of
Grey's Anatomy.
Some people write songs to get famous or gain respect, but Foreman writes
songs to understand himself. "I write questioning songs," he says. "I'm
interested in reading philosophy and trying to figure things out. The
melodies come to me quite easily so it's the poets, philosophers and
psalmists that help me put the melodies where they belong. The songs assist
me in the challenge of knowing who I am, so the shoulders of great writers
are a good place to start."
Encouraged by the other Switchfoot members to release his solo EPs, one
thing that Jon is certain of is that the solo records won't distract from
the band. "I really feel that the next Switchfoot album will be our defining
record," he says excitedly. "The EPs have been incredibly liberating. I paid
for everything, I wrote everything and I produced everything. There is
nothing I could do that could be more personal and over which I could have
more control.
"I feel that this has allowed me to face the next Switchfoot project with my
arms open wider. I'm in a band with these other guys who all have great
ideas, and I need to be able to loosen the reins. This has been a chance for
me to get that out of my system. It's been a real rebirth to be able to have
both sides come out into the light."
More information about Jon Foreman can be found at www.jonforeman.com
<http://www.jonforeman.com/> .
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