Switchfoot Had to Cancel Their Nickelback Tour So They Covered Vampire Weekend, Frank Ocean and the Chainsmokers Instead

They also took on tunes by Harry Styles and the Verve

BY Josiah HughesPublished May 29, 2020

Impossibly chill Californian Christian pop rockers Switchfoot were meant to spent their summer touring with Nickelback, but the trek was ultimately postponed over coronavirus concerns. Perhaps they really were meant to live for so much more, however, because they've showcased their broader musical taste with a new covers EP.

It's hard to know what we'd expect from a covers EP, but certainly not this. On the upcoming release, which is simply called Covers, Switchfoot perform Frank Ocean's "Swim Good," Vampire Weekend's "Harmony Hall," the Chainsmokers' "Sick Boy," the Verve's "Lucky Man," Harry Styles's "Lights Up" and Jon Bellion's "Stupid Deep." Unfortunately, they didn't cover anything by Ryley Walker despite his status as their most outspoken fan in indie circles.

Switchfoot's Jon Foreman shared the following statement about the project:

Spring of 2020 has been a strange time for all of us. Quarantined at home, music has meant more to me than ever, something that feels stable even against the current backdrop of instability. Rather than just sing the songs written within the confine of our own quarantines, (those will come later!) we have collected half a dozen of the songs of others. Different voices. Different opinions. This diverse collection of songs is an attempt to express a truly universal language that reaches outside the confines of my own home, an openhanded embrace of all of the unique idiosyncrasies within the human tribe. There is a commonality in melody, and rhythm, and lyric, and truth that speaks to me even from someone who might look different than myself. This is the beauty of music: it can take us around the world, even when we're quarantined at home.

Ahead of the arrival of Covers on June 19 via Fantasy Records, you can listen to Switchfoot's Frank Ocean cover below.

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