Making an album is a long process, filled with many steps and decisions. For example, maybe you can’t find a Christmas tree to photograph for the cover of your holiday record.
Such was the predicament Switchfoot faced in creating the artwork for their this is our Christmas album release. Bassist Tim Foreman had an idea to take a picture of a Christmas tree lying on the beach, but the thought came to him long after the holliest and jolliest of seasons had passed.
“The only thing missing was we didn’t have a Christmas tree,” Foreman recalls. “Where are you gonna get a Christmas tree end of February? It’s already been Valentine’s Day!”
Luckily, frontman Jon Foreman remembered he still had Christmas tree, nearly two months after the festive holiday.
“You have this tree and you take the ornaments off, and then you’re trying to get kids to school, things are happening, you just put it out on the porch, put it around the corner,” Jon explains. “I totally forgot about it, out of sight, out of mind. I knew it was there, but I kinda just forgot about it.”
While Jon’s bandmates wanted to shame him for keeping his tree around for so long, they were happy to have one to realize Tim’s cover idea.
“I’ll tell you this, that thing looked great!” Jon exclaims. Tim adds, “It was thriving, it was living its best life.”
Maybe this Christmas, Jon can extend his record for how long he keeps his tree up until St. Patrick’s Day.
In the meantime, you can listen to Switchfoot’s this is our Christmas album, which is out now.
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