Switchfoot is finally taking the Christmas plunge with the band's first holiday album.
The record, aptly titled this is our Christmas album, was inspired by frontman Jon Foreman's desire to build the "perfect playlist for Christmas."
"I realized that the album I wanted to hear didn't exist," Foreman tells ABC Audio. "So this album was our attempt to be the Christmas record you want to hear in the world."
In doing so, Foreman aimed to tackle both the joy and the "problem" of Christmas, juxtaposing the "most wonderful time of the year" with the heavy emotions, hardships and inequalities that come with the holiday season.
"My hope was with this Christmas album is that it would certainly embrace all the beauty and joy that Christmas means to me," Foreman explains. "And yet, underneath it, if you actually wanted to dive in, that there would be layers that kind of unwrapped it, as well."
"Like a present," he laughs.
Sonically, Foreman wanted this is our Christmas album to feel like a vinyl record that "you would put on, make some eggnog, hang out with friends, and you wouldn't want to skip one track." With a mix of originals and holiday standards, the record also hearkens back to the past Christmases Foreman and his brother, bassist Tim Foreman, spent with their family growing up.
"For us, Christmas was very much about everyone grabbing an instrument," Tim shares. "It didn't matter how poorly you played the song, if you knew the song or you didn't, you'd kinda struggle your way through it."
"We would butcher Christmas songs for about two weeks out of the year and enjoy every minute of it," John recalls.
Tim laughs, "Which is why we're so good at them now!"
this is our Christmas album is out now.