For the next 57 days, members of the band Switchfoot will go through the same daily ritual.
They’ll essentially live on a bus, traveling from Grand Rapids, Michigan, up and down the East Coast and out west to California for 42 total concerts. At night, they’ll head up on stage with co-headliner Reliant K, perform fan favorites, classic tunes and new selections. They have only a handful of off days, so most of the time, they’ll get up and do it all again.
The grind of the road can be wearing. But when they’re up on stage, nothing is better about being a musician.
“I love the idea that I can still have music in my life, and getting excited about the new songs we sing,” said Jerome Fontamillas, keyboardist for Switchfoot. “Those are the things that I really live for — to be able to express myself and let people know that this means a lot to me, and I hope you like it too.”
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Thirteen years after their debut album, and now on their 10th release, Switchfoot is embarking on one of its most ambitious tours ever. The band will be in Indianapolis on Sunday, performing together with Reliant K at the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre in Indianapolis. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., with tickets running from $26 to $36.
The Daily Journal caught up with Fontamillas before the band’s show in Clive, Iowa, to find out about life on the road, gauging the audience and the genesis of their new album, “Where the Light Shines.”
So the tour just started a few days ago, but how’s it been going?
“It’s really funny because this is going on our fourth show. So far, we’ve had three bus drivers, the bus has broken down. Trying to get to each venue has been a challenge. But we’ve been making it — the crew’s been working really hard, and Reliant K is helping us out a lot. That’s just the start of the tour, and hopefully it’s easier from there.”
How do you get ready for a packed two months of shows?
“A lot of the preparation is done beforehand, making sure everything is set up and all of the audio and video is on par. The legwork was done beforehand; now it’s just getting in the groove of performing it every night. We’re really excited, because this probably one of the biggest production-type tours we’ve ever done, with all of the visuals and audio. It’s been really fun to play.”
With “Where the Light Shines,” what kind of approach did you take?
“When you start an album, there’s always a little bit of a soul-searching period. You question yourself, if you should do another album, if you have enough energy to put into something like this. It’s a big mountain to climb, but we made it through.”
What is the focus of this album?
“It’s a shot of where we are in life, where we see ourselves.”
What’s it been like introducing these new songs two people?
“When you’re playing new songs in front of people, you can see that they’re really listening to it and trying to analyze it. You can see it in their eyes. I like that challenge, and love the idea of seeing them experience it as they decide, ‘Do I like this song or not?’”
