Hello Hurricane: Difference between revisions
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|Last album = ''[[The Best Yet]]''<br/>(2008)| |
|Last album = ''[[The Best Yet]]''<br/>(2008)| |
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This album = '''''Hello Hurricane'''''<br/>(2009)| |
This album = '''''Hello Hurricane'''''<br/>(2009)| |
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Next album = ''[[Eastern Hymns for Western Shores |
Next album = ''[[Eastern Hymns for Western Shores]]''<br/>(2010)| |
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| Misc = {{Singles |
| Misc = {{Singles |
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| Name = Hello Hurricane |
| Name = Hello Hurricane |
Revision as of 01:55, 12 December 2010
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Hello Hurricane is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Switchfoot. It was co-produced by the band and Mike Elizondo, after initially self-producing their work, as well as test runs with producers such as Ken Andrews and Charlie Peacock.[11] The album was recorded mainly in the band's Spot X Studio in their hometown of San Diego, California. It was originally to be released on October 6, 2009, but was pushed back to a November 10, 2009 release on their independent record label, the Atlantic-distributed lowercase people records.[12]
On December 1, 2010, Hello Hurricane was nominated for the Best Rock Gospel Album award for the 53rd Grammy Awards.[13]
Recording and production
Recording sessions with Charlie Peacock
Pre-production for Hello Hurricane began during the first week of August 2007.[14] That week, the band recorded 13 songs at Big Fish Studio under the guidance of producer Charlie Peacock, who was the founder of the band's first independent label, Re:Think Records.[15] As an experiment, the band "set up all in one room" and tracked the songs live.[15] These new song ideas were then indefinitely shelved when the band embarked on their fall Appetite for Construction Tour with Relient K, with drummer Chad Butler later calling the sessions a "failed experiment." [15]
The band does credit Peacock with encouraging them throughout that time period, positing that the band was "reaching for a horizon that's much larger" than anything they'd done before.[15] The band walked away from their time with Peacock determined to keep "pushing for something we hadn't felt yet...just that desire to go back in and keep writing and keep pushing and looking." [15]
Major label independence
After the Peacock sessions, the band revealed on August 9 that they had left their Major record label, Columbia/SonyBMG, and intended to independently release their follow-up to 2006's Oh! Gravity.[16]
To usher in this new period of label independence, the band began construction of a recording studio in San Diego on October 12, 2007. Soon after, it was announced that the band had founded an independent record label called lowercase people records,[17] under which proceeding projects, including the as-yet-untitled new studio album, would be released.
In May 2008, the band moved into studio, Spot X, and recording was kicked into high gear in June, with the band proceeding without a producer. "I feel like we've got a fairly firm grip on what we want to do and I feel like we can get there on our own," Switchfoot singer Jon Foreman said at the time.[18] Progress was halted briefly when the band embarked on the Music Builds Tour in August, but was resumed soon after.
Sessions resume with Mike Elizondo and Darrell Thorp
On October 30, it was revealed that Grammy Award-winning engineer Darrell Thorp, who has worked with the likes of Radiohead and Outkast, had been working with Switchfoot in the studio for the new record,[19] and later, producer Mike Elizondo was brought on board for the last few months of recording.[20]
Recording was once more halted in January 2009 when Foreman embarked on a national tour with Fiction Family, a collaborative side project with Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek. No further news was heard from the band again until late February, when the band announced they had finished selecting the final song list.[21]
In March, the band recorded a few sessions with engineer Ryan Petersen and drummer Chad Butler reported they were "rounding 3rd base" on the album and that it was near completion.[22]
Final mixing began on April 7[23] and on May 30, Switchfoot sent out an email saying that "Hello Hurricane" was finished.[24]
Rob Cavallo and Atlantic Records
After the record was finished, the album found its way into the hands of producer Rob Cavallo, newly appointed as Chief Creative Officer with Warner Music Group and Atlantic Records.[25] Cavallo liked what he heard and contacted Switchfoot, eventually signing them on to a 360 Deal to distribute Hello Hurricane through Atlantic Records.[25][26]
"We tracked the whole record completely on our own dime and basically just our own opinions what the record should be," said Jon Foreman. "And then Atlantic chased us down." [27]
Shortly after signing on, the band held several sessions with Cavallo to rework some of the songs for radio.[28][29]
Musical and lyrical content
The album from the outset was described to be different from any previous work the band has done. "We wanted to start with a clean slate because the last couple of records felt kind of compromised,” said Foreman concerning the period the band had with Columbia Records after 2003's The Beautiful Letdown. “With Sony, they fired people so quickly that it was hard for us to develop any sort of traction, so we fired ourselves. We got off the label because music is very sensitive to the place that it’s coming from. We wanted to create an environment where we were going to be with the same people for a long time and trust is established."[30]
Along those lines, Foreman said that the record was going to sound different sonically, initially "shaping up to be more acoustic AND more electronic."[31] "You know, it’s one of those things where you get to a point where you kind of want to shock yourself again," said Foreman.[32]
Later in August, Foreman said that "there are so many different directions we can go in. One of the songs has a (Led) Zeppelin feel. One of them has more of a Devo feel... I feel like the headspace we're in now, the glass ceiling's been shattered."[33]
In January 2009, Foreman said that the sonic direction had been taken in three directions, with some songs being more "beat driven," some "punchy," and others "a little bit broader, ethereal," ultimately deciding to go with an amalgam of the three elements.[34]
The overall writing for the record was also varied, with shifts in style and production. Foreman attributes this to Thorp's input, crediting the engineer with creating a landscape "the darks are darker and the lights are brighter and the lows are lower and the highs are higher." [35] The enlisting of Hip-hop/R&B producer Mike Elizondo late in the process brought a "new synergy" to the sessions, with drummer Chad Butler describing Elizondo as "someone who's got such a rhythmic sensibility."[20]
With all the artistic freedom came increasingly large amounts of material in what bassist Tim Foreman calls "a very prolific season for us." The challenge for Switchfoot soon brought up the question of "how do you define yourself?" according to drummer Chad Butler. "You’ve got all these different songs and different styles and different musical experimentations. It becomes a big mess..." It quickly became clear that very few of the experimental tracks were going to make the record, with producer Elizondo telling the band to not "be afraid of what you've done for the past six records." [27] In the end, the band decided to go in the direction of making "a statement" and defining who they are in an independent era, "and that’s when it came down to what are the songs saying and which ones mean the most to us."[36]
Elizondo asked the band, "What are the songs that only you can bring? What are the songs that only Switchfoot can deliver?" And it was with that lens that the band chose the final track listing for Hello Hurricane.[15] The inspiration for the album title comes from the story of a woman the band worked with during post-Hurricane Katrina who had lost her leg during the evacuation. "Her statement was, 'I walked out of my old house, I'm gonna walk into this new one,' recalls Butler.[37]
Studio webcam and Twitter
As in the Oh! Gravity. sessions, the band installed a webcam in the studio to give fans a "fly-on-the-wall" view of their progress. Instead of the refresh-still-images camera that was utilized for the Gravity sessions, this version of the webcam featured real-time video streaming. It was launched for the first time on July 1, 2008, and was chronicled periodically on the fan-made Switchfoot Webcam Blog 2008.
Later, the band switched over to their Twitter account to update fans on the final stages of production for the album.
Release
Promotion
The song "Hello Hurricane" was first debuted at a May 8, 2009 concert in Visalia, California when the band played a preview of the album version of the song through the PA system for fans to hear.[38] One fan recorded the song and posted it online, providing listeners with the first taste of the band's new material.[39][40]
Switchfoot began unveiling the new material throughout the Summer Festival tour season, beginning with "Mess of Me," which was played live for the first time on June 18 at the Big Ticket Festival in Michigan.[41] "Hello Hurricane" was performed in its full-band incarnation for the first time at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Canada on June 20. "Bullet Soul" followed, live in Lancaster, PA at the American Music Theater for the first time on June 21,[42] with "Needle and Haystack Life" debuting live at Spirit Song at King's Island in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 9.[43] "The Sound" then was revealed on July 16 in Memphis, TN.[44]
The band also began hosting listening parties across the United States to give fans a chance to hear the album in its entirety.[45] Entrusting the master copy of the record to the YouTube online video content provider, Corey Vidal, fans got rare opportunities to hear Hello Hurricane during certain stops on Vidal's "Youtube Road Trip."[45]
In September, Switchfoot released the first music video for the lead single, "Mess of Me," to YouTube.[46] The band also played a short string of radio shows to promote the upcoming record, debuting a stripped version of "Free" at a 99x radio session on September 9.[47] The next day, Switchfoot performed "Always" at a show in the Ft. Lauderdale Culture Room in Florida.[48]
Songs from "Hello Hurricane" were featured in 2009 College Football games on ESPN, with "Needle and Haystack Life," "The Sound," and "Bullet Soul" regularly playing before commercial breaks.
On October 16, before the American League Championship Series Game 1 broadcast, a montage of baseball highlights was shown, while interspersed with live clips of Switchfoot and the song "Free" playing in the background.[49]
On November 3, 2009, the album was premiered in streaming format on the popular social networking site MySpace, giving fans a chance to listen to the new record a week before its release.
The song "Bullet Soul" was utilized as the theme song for WWE's "TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs" pay-per-view.[50]
The band also played a string of late-night television shows after the album's release. They played "Mess of Me" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! November 12 [51] and on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on December 2.[52] Switchfoot then opened 2010 by performing "Always" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on January 4, 2010. They also made appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno The band was also tapped as one of two acts (the other being The Goo Goo Dolls) to play the ESPN National Championship Tailgate at the Rose Bowl stadium before the BCS National Championship Game on January 7.[53] Switchfoot continued to receive promotion for the album from the sports world, performing as the house band during the 2010 ESPY Awards pre-show.[54] A few weeks later, the band played a concert on the ESPN campus in Bristol, CT.[55]
Hello Hurricane also has gotten some TV show airplay. One Tree Hill played "Your Love Is A Song" during the ending of the episode "You Know I Love You, Don't You," on November 30, 2009 and "Enough to Let Me Go" was played on "Every Picture Tells A Story," on April 26, 2010.[56] "Always" was used for an episode of Grey's Anatomy titled "The Time Warp" on February 18, 2010.[57] The song "Yet" on the album has been used on a episode of The Vampire Diaries on November 5, 2009.
Distribution
Upon completion of Hello Hurricane, the band had concluded a season of independence and artistic freedom that hadn't been experienced since the band recorded The Beautiful Letdown independently.[58] Once this season was concluded, the band began shopping around for partners to distribute the songs all across the globe, "looking for the best partner to give these songs a large platform that is respectful to the people that listen to our music." [58] On August 7, 2009, Switchfoot announced that their independently-owned label, lowercase people records, would be partnering with Atlantic Records to distribute Hello Hurricane globally. EMI CMG will meanwhile retain the rights to release Switchfoot's material to the Christian market.[59]
Formats
Hello Hurricane was distributed in several different formats and packages, as announced on switchfoot.com. Official pre-sales for the packages began on September 16, 2009.[60]
- Digital Download
- Standard CD Edition
- Vinyl (with physical CD)
- Deluxe CD/DVD Edition
- Collector's Deluxe Edition (includes CD/DVD/Bonus disc, a hardbound 84-page photo book, an exclusive poster, and extra bonus content)
There is also an iTunes deluxe package available, with exclusive acoustic versions and other tracks.
Reception
Hello Hurricane has received generally favorable reviews, with reviews aggregation website Metacritic calculating an average rating of 74 out of 100.[61] Alternative Press rated the album 3.5 of 5 stars, calling it "an uplifting, hope-giving affirmation of resurgence from a band who might have been down at one point but were definitely never out."[3] Relevant Magazine hailed it as "one of the best albums of Switchfoot’s career."[9] Allmusic was also favorable, calling the album Switchfoot's "most natural, effortless outing to date,"[2] while Billboard says Hello Hurricane is "a sleekly presented modern-rock album with no shortage of bruising guitars or catchy choruses."[4] AbsolutePunk reviewer Gregory Robson was lukewarm in his assessment, giving the record a 77% rating, observing that it "flows with potential and disappointment, promise and filler, which makes for an entirely frustrating listen."[1] But the Times of India's reviewer Nigel Britto was more optimistic. "Hello Hurricane presents a renewed optimism and vigour and a lot more musical experimentation," he wrote.[62]
Hello Hurricane debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 39,000 copies.[63] It has sold over 150,000 copies in the United States to date.[64]
Track listing
- All songs written by Jon Foreman and Tim Foreman, except for "Needle and Haystack Life," "Always," and "Free" by Jon Foreman, and "Your Love Is a Song" by Jon Foreman and Mike Elizondo.
- "Needle and Haystack Life" – 3:49
- "Mess of Me" – 3:27
- "Your Love Is a Song" – 4:22
- "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)" – 3:47
- "Enough to Let Me Go" – 3:52
- "Free" – 4:03
- "Hello Hurricane" – 4:04
- "Always" – 4:20
- "Bullet Soul" – 3:24
- "Yet" – 3:53
- "Sing It Out" – 5:17
- "Red Eyes" – 4:50
iTunes bonus tracks
- "Mess of Me (Acoustic)" – 3:22
- "Always (Alternate Acoustic Version)" – 4:22
- "Stitches" – 3:07
- From the Eastern Hymns for Western Shores EP.
- "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)" – 4:47
- Music video
Charts
Chart | Peak position |
---|---|
Billboard 200 | 13[65] |
Billboard Alternative Albums | 3[65] |
Billboard Christian Albums | 2[65] |
Billboard Rock Albums | 4[65] |
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart | 13 [66] |
Personnel
- Mike Elizondo – producer
- Adam Hawkins – engineer, mixing
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Darrell Thorp – engineer
- Alan Sanderson – engineer
- Shane D. Wilson – engineer
- Craig Zarkos – engineer
- Ryan Petersen - engineer
Building a Hurricane
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The collector's deluxe edition of Hello Hurricane came packaged with a B-sides album called Building a Hurricane. It features alternate versions of the album tracks, as well as outtakes and demos culled from the studio sessions for Hello Hurricane. This was available via pre-orders only.[67]
Track listing
- "Needle (Writing Sessions, San Diego, Spring '08)" – 1:50
- "Needle (July '08 – Take 7)" – 4:16
- "Mess of Me (Charlie Peacock Sessions, Aug. '07)" – 3:05
- "Red Eyes (Jan. 12, 2009 – Take 1)" – 3:24
- "Sing It Out (Writing Session, Raleigh, NC, Fall '08)" – 0:44
- "Sing It Out (Dark Version, Nov. 22 '08 – Take 6)" – 1:46
- "The-Voice-Inside-Your-Head Interlude" – 0:06
- "Your Love Is a Gun (Bullet Soul Early Version)" – 3:31
- "Enough Reprise" – 0:32
- "Yet (Dressing Room Demo, Fall '07)" – 1:36
- "Yet (Nov. 4 '08 – Take 07)" – 3:53
- "Tambo-Cave-at-Gmail-Dot-Com Interlude" – 0:14
- "Sing It Out (Demo, Oct. '09, Prog Drums)" – 4:35
- "Red Eyes (Demo, Early '05)" – 2:15
- "Always Yours (Nov. 13, '08 – Take 9)" – 4:22
- "Always Yours, Tim's Unused Bridge" – 0:50
- "Mess of Me (Demo, Aug. '08 – Take 2, Full Band)" – 3:49
- "Nicaraguan-Maracas Interlude" – 0:25
- "Mess of Me (Early Demos)" – 2:01
- "Your Love Is A Gun (Bullet Soul Laptop Demo)" – 3:25
- "Hello Hurricane (Early Demos)" – 2:22
- "Distortion Interlude" – 0:06
- "Needle (Nov. 18, '08 – Take 12)" – 3:33
- "Sing It Out (Mar. 19, '09)" – 5:29
References
- ^ a b Robson, Gregory. "Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ^ a b "allmusic ((( Hello Hurricane > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ^ a b Lucy, Evan (December 2009), "Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane", Alternative Press
{{citation}}
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(help) - ^ a b "Switchfoot, "Hello Hurricane"". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ Greer, Andrew (November 2009). "Hello Hurricane". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
{{cite web}}
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(help); Text "Christianity Today" ignored (help); Text "Music" ignored (help) - ^ Spenceley, Haydon. "Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane". Cross Rhythms magazine. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
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(help) - ^ "Switchfoot, "Hello Hurricane"". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ^ Davis, Reid. "Switchfoot: Hello Hurricane". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
- ^ a b "Switchfoot, Hello Hurricane". Relevant Magazine. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ^ Alternative eWeekly/Add Board Alert -- All Access and Mediabase - Published September 22, 2009 (retrieved September 22, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot Eyeing Spring 2009 For New Album - Published August 1, 2008 (Retrieved June 24, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot Community - New Album Release details, the latest skinny - Published July 30, 2009 (retrieved July 30, 2009)
- ^ http://www.grammy.com/nominees
- ^ 2008/2009 New Switchfoot Album Page - Published June 12, 2008 (Retrieved August 7, 2008)
- ^ a b c d e f Switchfoot weathers the storm - Published January 12, 2010 (retrieved March 16, 2010)
- ^ a new beginning in stereo... Jon Foreman Myspace blog 8-9-07 - Published August 10, 2007 (retrieved May 5, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot creates "Lowercase People Records"! - Published October 29, 2007 (Retrieved May 5, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot Eyeing Spring 2009 For New Album - Published August 1, 2008 (Retrieved March 10, 2009)
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b Q&A: Chad Butler from Switchfoot on surfing, being in an indie band and working with Eminem's producer - Published June 19, 2009 (retrieved June 20, 2009
- ^ Switchfoot Tweeting on Twitter!; announces that they have put together the final Song list for the New Album! - Published February 26, 2009 (retrieved February 27, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot "rounding 3rd base" and nearing home plate (for the new album)! - Published March 5, 2009 (retrieved March 5, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot mixing their first song today! (Hello Hurricane) - Published April 7, 2009 (retrieved April 15, 2009)
- ^ Breaking: New Switchfoot Email - Published May 29, 2009 (retrieved May 30, 2009)
- ^ a b FootColumn: Switchfoot and Expanded rights and 360 Deals? - Published October 8, 2009 (retrieved October 18, 2009)
- ^ PositiveMedia's Call-in Show - Published October 6, 2009 (retrieved October 18, 2009)
- ^ a b Jon Foreman steps in and out of "Hurricane" - Published November 5, 2009 (retrieved November 5, 2009)
- ^ los angeles, california. - Published August 5, 2009 (retrieved August 23, 2009)
- ^ Songwriting for the Ages - Published January 12, 2009 (Retrieved January 15, 2009)
- ^ "acoustic AND more electronic"... Switchfoot interviewed on MTV Asia - Published December 28, 2007 (Retrieved January 15, 2009)
- ^ Spring is in the air! fall & winter can now rest at peace! and New RECORD NEWS - Published March 20, 2008 (Retrieved January 15, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot Eyeing Spring 2009 For New Album - Published August 1, 2008 (Retrieved January 15, 2009)
- ^ Jon Foreman - Published January 2009 (retrieved January 26, 2009)
- ^ Fiction Family Pt. 2 - Published January 2, 2009 (retrieved January 27, 2009)
- ^ A Conversation With Switchfoot’s Drummer Chad Butler - Published August 5, 2009 (retrieved August 8, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot 2010 - Published January 12, 2010 (retrieved August 2, 2010)
- ^ Switchfoot rock Visalia and preview Hello Hurricane! - Published May 9, 2009 (retrieved May 13, 2009)
- ^ Download preview of Switchfoot's new song, "Hello Hurricane" - Published May 11, 2009 (retrieved May 13, 2009)
- ^ hellohurricane - Published May 11, 2009 (retrieved July 10, 2009)
- ^ **New** Switchfoot - Mess of Me
- ^ NEW SONG!! Bullet Soul by Switchfoot live at AMT in Lancaster, PA
- ^ Needle And Haystack Life - Published July 10, 2009 (retrieved July 11, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot - The Sound (new song) Memphis, TN - Published July 16, 2009 (retrieved July 16, 2009)
- ^ a b "Hello Hurricane" Intro clip!; YouTube Assault Aftermath - Published July 29, 2009 (retrieved July 22, 2009)
- ^ 'Mess Of Me' - Switchfoot (new single from new album "Hello Hurricane" - out November 10, 2009) - Published September 8, 2009 (retrieved September 12, 2009)
- ^ Free - Switchfoot / 9/9/09 - Published September 9, 2009 (retrieved September 12, 2009)
- ^ Always-Switchfoot**New Song!** - Published September 11, 2009 (retrieved September 12, 2009)
- ^ "Free" by Switchfoot on Fox Sports Baseball Highlight reel - 2009 ALCS Game 1 - Published October 18, 2009 (retrieved October 18, 2009)
- ^ [2]
- ^ Switchfoot Perform "Mess of Me" - Published November 13, 2009 (retrieved November 13, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien tonight! - Published December 2, 2009 (retrieved December 18, 2009)
- ^ SWITCHFOOT KICKS OFF 2010 WITH PERFORMANCES ON "THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON" AND AT ESPN'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TAILGATE - Published December 16, 2009 (retrieved December 18, 2009)
- ^ BREAKING: Switchfoot set to perform at the ESPYS tomorrow! - Published July 13, 2010 (retrieved July 29, 2010)
- ^ Switchfoot plays show on the ESPN campus; Chart Thursday (Week of August 7, 2010); Switchfoot nominated for several 2010 San Diego Music Awards - Published July 29, 2010 (retrieved July 29, 2010)
- ^ "Your Love Is a Song" on One Tree Hill - Published December 1, 2009 (retrieved February 28, 2010)
- ^ BREAKING: "Always" featured in tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy; Switchfoot Dove Award nominations - Published February 18, 2010 (retrieved February 28, 2010)
- ^ a b New Album Release details, the latest skinny - Published July 30, 2009 (retrieved August 8, 2009)
- ^ BREAKING: Switchfoot teams with Atlantic Records for Worldwide release of "Hello Hurricane" - Published August 8, 2009 (retrieved August 9, 2009)
- ^ switchfoot.com
- ^ Hello Hurricane reviews at Metacritic.com
- ^ Crest, TOI. "Sonic Boom". The Times Of India.
- ^ Bon Jovi tops album chart - Published November 18, 2009 (retrieved November 18, 2009)
- ^ Switchfoot Release Album Details - Published April 22, 2010 (retrieved April 22, 2010)
- ^ a b c d http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/album/switchfoot/hello-hurricane/1294132
- ^ New Zealand Albums Chart - Published February 7, 2010 (retrieved February 3, 2010)
- ^ Switchfoot :: Hello Hurricane Collector's Deluxe Edition - Published September 16, 2009 (retrieved September 21, 209)
- Foreman, Jon (November 2009). "Switchfoot shares song-by-song discussion". HM Magazine. Retrieved March 8, 2010.