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.

Switchfoot's official website can be found at www.switchfoot.com

lowercase people's official website can be found at www.lowercasepeople.com

The latest info on this year's Bro-Am Surf Contest can be found at www.myspace.com/switchfootbroam