When San Diego-based alternative rock group Switchfoot approached Interpret Studios’ Director Matt Katsolis to produce a film, the Jacksonville director said the band knew exactly which direction they wanted the film to go. “Switchfoot was very clear,” said Katsolis. “They wanted to go to places that would inspire them to make a new album. As they were doing their 2012 vice verses tour they were like, ‘We want to go to destinations.’” Switchfoot’s journey would lead them to some of the world’s most renowned surfing hotspots such as Australia, New Zealand, Bali and South Africa.
“We’re always interested in a challenge, so we were thinking, ‘How can we challenge ourselves? What if we made an album directly inspired by the ocean,’” said lead singer Jon Foreman before a recent show at the Florida Theatre. “Not just the ocean in our own backyard, but Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Bali.” Foreman and the band said the point of “Fading West” is to give their fans a behind-the-scenes look at the band.
Katsolis said that the biggest problem they faced during filming was creating a rock band documentary that did not include the three classic rock and roll themes: sex, drugs, and of course, rock and roll. Katsolis and everyone at Interpret Studios spent the first two months behind the desk, scripting the story, choosing themes, and planning the destinations the band would travel to during filming. Initially, the film crew consisted of five people with 10 cameras ranging from some of today’s most advanced digital cameras to old school film.
“We hit the road in February of 2012,” said Katsolis. “We started out going to Australia, but 10 days into the tour the lead singer’s daughter had a medical emergency and needed surgery. It’s one of those unscripted things that makes documentaries so riveting.” Katsolis said it was amazing to see how the band supported Foreman, even cancelling their sold-out show at Australia’s Soundwave Festival, one of the country’s biggest festivals.
Describing “Fading West” as simply a documentary or surf film doesn’t do it justice. It’s more of a tremendously personal and in-depth look at the day-to-day highs and lows of a touring band.
“Fading West” provides insight into just how human rock bands are. They have lives just like everyone else, though our society often puts them on a merciless pedestal. When they’re on the road, they have to deal with a variety of stresses and demands.
Early on, the film contradicts the idea that touring in a band is all play and no work. “Fading West” shows a typical day on the road for Switchfoot that starts shortly after the band gets off an overnight flight from a previous show, heading straight to the next venue to set up, appearing on a local radio station, playing the concert, doing VIP meet-and-greets, until they are finally off to do it all over again in a different city. This is one of the main themes of the film, recognized by both the filming crew and the band.
“Fading West” took roughly two years to complete. Katsolis has a specific goal in mind when it comes to what he hopes people will take away from the film. “My hope would be that people would be able to see that you can live for something bigger,” he said. “It was so refreshing that in this day and age where everyone is rewarded on this entitlement of doing things for themselves that it’s cool to see bands living for something bigger than them and giving back and taking time for people who are in really dark times.”
Jon Foreman has a similar hope for the film. “Music has this way of helping us see a bigger picture than ourselves. I would hope that the story of the film and the songs would just kind of open the doors for people.” “Fading West” is also the name of Switchfoot’s new album, which is set to be released Jan. 14. The film will be released in early December via digital download, after the Fading West Tour ends, and will also be available via streaming video on Hulu and Netflix.
