Music doesn't truly live on a disc, tape
or the memory of a computer -- it simply resides in these places waiting
for a listener. Music actually lives within the hearts of anyone willing
to listen... Within the hearts of anyone willing to feel...
The boys
from Switchfoot seem to understand this. Drummer Chad Butler recently
spoke with XMFan.com about life in the studio, on the road, and on the
beach. During the course of the
interview, it didn't take long
for me to realize that music was a huge part of Chad's life -- but only
one part. Family, community service and good, clean fun have made Chad
and his band mates the complete beings they are today. And, wouldn't you
know it, these very things have made the boys the complete
musicians they are today,
because true music is influenced by life -- whether it be a fundraiser
for the local youth shelter or a trip to a dirt-poor African village.
Audio Clip of Switchfoot:
XMFan: They say the beginning is
always a good place to start, so tell us about the first time you held a
drumstick and your first set of drums.
Chad: (Laughs)
I was banging on pots and pans for as long as I can remember, so I think
my first drumstick was probably a wooden spoon. I actually got my first
real drum kit when I was thirteen, and have been playing in the garage
ever since.
XMFan: How about your early bands
and gigs?
Chad: I played in the school
talent shows with friends, and garage bands all through high school. I
met up with John and Tim in college - they were in other bands around
the San Diego area at that time - and we ended up joining together to
form Switchfoot.
XMFan: It seems like as a youth,
if you weren't behind a drum kit, you were involved in some kind of
water activity.
Chad: Anything to do with water.
I actually met John in our high school's swimming pool, where we played
on the same water polo team and surfed on the surf team. So we competed
in those things, but also played music during this same time. I think a
lot of musicians surf in San Diego - both are common things that kind of
go hand-in-hand.
XMFan: Do you remember when the
group began to realize that professional music might be in your future?
Chad: You know, we pulled
together for years and put out a couple of records before we started to
think of music as a job. We just couldn't believe that we had a chance
to record music, travel and see the world together. It took a long time
for me to start calling this a job, and it's not every day that someone
gets to pursue music full-time.
It's something I don't take for granted, and am very thankful for it.
XMFan: Switchfoot seems to be a
band that has risen above musical boundaries, speaking to fans of rock,
pop and inspirational music alike.
Chad: We've always set out to
make honest music. We like to sort of document what we're going through
in life at the time, and I think that's what makes music timeless.
Growing up, my favorite songs were the ones that weren't afraid to ask
the big questions of life - songs written by
Bob Dylan or
Johnny Cash.
U2. I'm a big fan of honesty in
songwriting.
The thing that amazes me is how the most personal songs wind up being
the most universal. The song that was written at three in the morning at
the foot of your bed ends up being sung by people half way around the
world. That's a pretty amazing thing. That's the power of music.
XMFan: You've probably just
answered my next question, but explain your vision for your latest
album, Oh, Gravity! Chad: The funny thing is we
didn't really set out to make an album at all. We ended up in the studio
to record a couple of songs, and had a chance to work with one of our
heroes, producer Steve Lillywhite.
We thought we might put the songs out on EP, maybe between albums. We
ended up having so much fun with his style of recording - which is very
loose and organic, and a different than how we recorded our past records
- that we stayed in the studio for three months and ended up with a
full-length record.
XMFan: Switchfoot has already
earned a truckload of industry awards, but are there any awards you
value above the others for any reason?
Chad: We grew up in the San Diego
music scene, and I'm very fond of the local scene here. The
San Diego Music Award we won
this year for Artist of the Year means a lot. It's great to be
recognized by your peers in your hometown.
XMFan: You guys are quickly
becoming legends in the eyes of your fans for the ways you appreciate
them - whether it's keeping your concert admission prices low, having a
contest where a fan gets to play a cowbell on the next album, or even
having a webcam set up in the studio for fans to see you at work.
Chad: You know, I think we
learned that growing up in San Diego. It's sort of a punk rock ethic
that there's no difference between the audience and the band on stage. I
remember the local shows where I'd watch my friends' bands play until it
was our turn, and then we'd get up and go on stage. Right after that,
we'd go right back into the audience and watch the next band play.
There's a certain camaraderie, and an understanding that we're all fans
of music.
XMFan: Being involved in
charities seems to be a high priority for you and your band mates, and
you've even created two of your own -
lowercase people and the Bro-Am
Surf Contest. Would you give us an overview of both?
Chad: lowercase people is a
chance to tell stories of the people we've met on the road, whether it's
a choir of kids in Kayamandi, South Africa who have been orphaned by
AIDS - incredibly talented singers - or the plight of the Dalit people
in India. Both communities have dark situations, but there's a lot of
hope and beauty in the midst of that. The desire to tell those kinds of
stories is what lowercase people is all about.
The Bro-Am is much more local, and is a chance to combine two of our
passions, surfing and music, all in the same day on the beach here
locally. Last year, we wanted to raise awareness and support for a local
children's charity, Casa de Amparo.
XMFan: You met your wife, Tina,
at UCSD and were married in 1998. With two sons, are there any young
musicians on the horizon?
Chad: We're definitely a musical
family, and I've been teaching my oldest to play drums. He's five and a
half now, and I think he's going to be a better drummer than I am. Same
thing with the ocean - I take them to the beach and teach them about the
waves, and we even did a bit of surfing this past summer. Again, I
didn't begin playing the drums seriously or surfing until I was a
teenager, so I feel like I'm giving my kids a much better head start
than the one I had.
XMFan: How much time have you
spent in San Diego versus the road these past few years? Do you enjoy
your time on the road?
Chad: The best thing in the world
is to travel with four of your best friends and see places you'd never
see otherwise. I miss San Diego, you know, because we're on the road
about half of the time. We're actually leaving tomorrow morning for
Europe, and are really excited about that.
The thing that really motivates me to leave the comforts of home is when
I'm halfway around the world, and hear an audience sing the songs louder
than the band. That's the amazing two-way conversation of the live show
- it's a living, breathing thing with the audience.
XMFan: If someone ten years ago had mentioned you were going to
be in a top-ten band, husband and father of two, a community leader and
world traveler, would you have believed it?
Chad: (Laughs)
I don't know if I still believe it, but I'm really grateful and humbled
each day I get to be a part of something bigger than myself. I don't
take it for granted at all.
Photo Album
He's five and a
half now, and I think he's going to be a better drummer than I am. Same
thing with the ocean - I take them to the beach and teach them about the
waves, and we even did a bit of surfing this past summer. Again, I
didn't begin playing the drums seriously or surfing until I was a
teenager, so I feel like I'm giving my kids a much better head start
than the one I had.