I can finally say that our new video for our new single, "Awakening," is done and ready for your happy consumption. We really love this song, and we're glad that many of you do as well. I'm proud to say that this new video is one of our favorites! I hope you dig it as much as we do...

The concept of the video
The traditional concept of a music video can be a bit surreal, lip-synching to your own songs can feel especially comical at times! With this irony in mind we wanted to make a video that doesn't take itself too seriously, even if the song itself is dealing with weighty issues... to make a music video that tells a different story than the song is already telling us. The song exists in a space entirely on its own, and nothing will ever add or subtract from what the song already is- why not use the video as a vehicle to go somewhere new? Somewhere that the song hasn't already been on it's own? So here, my friends, is an attempt to do just that.
The making of the video
We had a lot of fun making this video. We actually made this video on our own dime, with our talented good friend Brandon Dickerson, who made two of our earlier videos. We also had the incredible opportunity of working with three extremely talented and funny actors: Tony Hale (Stranger than Fiction, Arrested Development), Adam Campbell (Epic Movie), and Jayma Mays (Heroes). The most challenging and time-consuming portion of the video was the creating of the "animated" television. To create this effect, we printed out each individual frame (24 frames per second -- that's a lot of frames!), and then hand-ripped each person from each frame, placing each frame sequentially after the other to re-create the action (think claymation with photos!). This technique has actually never been done before, and took a total of 8 days, with 10 to 20 people working around the clock (some of you even stopped by to help out!).
Thank you for singing along,
-tim
www.switchfoot.com/awakening
We'd be honored to have you share it with your friends, pass it along, etc... In fact, if you want to feature it on your myspace, or any other space for that matter, simply copy the code provided below:

1. Post this video everywhere you can

2. Send the code to everyone you know and have them post the code.

3. Send this link http://www.switchfoot.com/awakening to eveyone you know.

4. Request TRL on MTV to play it, by clicking here.

5. Request Fuse to play it by clicking here.

Friends,

Howdy, my name is jon. I play guitar and sing in a San Diego band called Switchfoot. We started out as a three piece: Tim (my brother) playing the bass, Chad, (my college buddy) playing the drums, and myself writing the tunes. Our first record came out the week after my brother graduated from high school. We called it: The Legend of Chin, naming it after my best friend. Willis. We traveled around that summer and went back to school in the fall. A few years later we put out a record called New Way to be Human and I dropped out of college. We decided to really give music a go and started touring a bit more seriously.
After that, we put out a record called Learning to Breathe. My friend jerome called and told me he had just quit his day job. Our band had been playing shows with jerome's old band for years so we joined forces with jerome and now he plays the keyboards and guitars with us every night. We made a record called The Beautiful Letdown a few years later. Then our friend Drew's band broke up. He plays the guitar in our band now. Then we made a record called Nothing is Sound and decided a five piece was enough to accomplish what we wanted to do live. So we decided not to enlist any more of our friends for help on stage.
And now, a few tips on making your own band's t-shirts in between gigs: hotel hairdryers help the fabric paint dry faster, three ring binders and a razor blade are all you need for a stencil, sponges work best for applying the ink. I think we like doing things ourselves because no one cares about the music more than we do. We've stuffed our own CD cases, We've done the sixteen hour drives. I feel that we've paid our dues on the road as much as anyone. But still, we never really fit in with the "cooler than thou" hipsters. I suppose it's a matter of course: we've always wanted to make music for everyone, not just for the scene. We've tried our best to live out the idea that it's better to be honest than momentarily cool.
And so this past summer when we set out to record a new record, we tried to put all pressures and expectations aside and focus on the music. We wanted to make a record that was honest. A record that didn't trip on itself. A record that represented everything that we first fell in love with about music. We tried to forget about theory and pitch and timing and focus on feeling. As a result, I think that Oh! Gravity is the most honest thing we've ever done. I am so proud of these tunes and hope that they resonate with you like they do for us.
In closing, I am so grateful for the gifts that I've been given. Near the top of the list would be the camaraderie that we have with each other on the road. Besides the fact that my brother's in the band, it really does feel a family out there on tour. I know it's not the cocky rock and roll thing to say, but I am so proud to be making music with these guys every night. I feel so privileged to be able to play these songs with them. I love screaming these songs out with them. And I have a deep respect for everyone who comes every night. We have always tried to break down the wall between the stage and the audience. I feel like I've done my job if we leave the stage while everyone in the club is still singing. Communication has always been the goal. You see, I want to sing a song that will continue long after we're gone.
So thanks for reading. Thanks for singing along. Thanks for making theses songs your own.