Exclusive: Switchfoot Return with “Native Tongue”

2000s alt-radio mainstays Switchfoot have returned with “Native Tongue,” the first single from their forthcoming album of the same name, out Jan. 18, 2019, on Fantasy Records. The track, debuting exclusively at Paste today, comes after the band announced in 2017 that they would be taking a hiatus “for the foreseeable future.” It seems that the band just can’t stay away from the music, as the hiatus was over in less than a year.

If you haven’t kept up with Switchfoot since their early-2000s heyday, “Native Tongue” may come as a surprise. It’s a far cry from the gauzy soft rock on which the band made their name with songs like “Dare You to Move” and “Meant to Live.” But the sort of slick, elastic rock ‘n’ roll that courses through “Native Tongue” has been a constant in the band’s post-2000s work.

Their message is just as platonically far-reaching as you might remember, though. The track is a roundabout rallying cry for people to be nice to each other. “Love’s a language / Love’s your native tongue,” singer Jon Foreman shouts over dagger-sharp quick-stops and a roaring bass figure. When the whole band joins him in shouting that mantra, it’s oddly comforting.

The Grammy-winning band will be hitting the road in 2019 for their Native Tongue tour. Those dates can be found further down, along with the Native Tongue album art and tracklist.

Listen to “Native Tongue” exclusively here at Paste and while you’re at it, catch the band’s 2017 Paste Studio session. You can preorder Native Tongue here.

Native Tongue Album Art:

Native Tongue Tracklist:
01. Let It Happen
02. Native Tongue
03. All I Need
04. Voices
05. Dig New Streams
06. Joy Invincible
07. Prodigal Soul
08. The Hardest Art (Feat. Kaela Sinclair)
09. Wonderful Feeling
10. Take My Fire
11. The Strength To Let Go
12. Oxygen
13. We’re Gonna Be Alright
14. You’re The One I Want

Switchfoot Native Tongue Tour Dates:

February
14 – Asheville, N.C. @ The Orange Peel
15 – Knoxville, Tenn. @ The Mill & Mine
16 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Tabernacle
17 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium
19 – Silver Spring, Md. @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
20 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ The Fillmore
22 – Montclair, N.J. @ Wellmont Theater
23 – Huntington, N.Y. @ The Paramount
24 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues
28 – Toronto, Ont. @ Danforth Music Hall

March
01- Cleveland, Ohio @ House of Blues
02 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ 20 Monroe Live
03 – Detroit, Mich. @ The Fillmore Detroit
05 – Saint Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant
06 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
08 – Chicago, Ill. @ Park West
09 – Chicago, Ill. @ Park West
10 – Madison, Wis. @ The Sylvee.
13 – Memphis, Tenn. @ New Daisy Theatre
14 – Tulsa, Okla. @ Club Brady
15 – Dallas, Texas @ House of Blues
16 – Houston, Texas @ House of Blues
18 – Austin, Texas @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
19 – San Antonio, Texas @ Aztec Theatre
21 – Birmingham, Ala. @ Iron City
22 – Tampa, Fla. @ The RITZ Ybor
23 – Orlando, Fla. @ House of Blues
24 – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. @ Revolution
27 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ State Theatre
28 – Omaha, Neb. @ Sokol Auditorium
29 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Uptown Theater
30 – Denver, Colo. @ Fillmore Auditorium
31 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot

April
03 – Tucson, Ariz. @ Rialto Theatre
04 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ The Van Buren
05 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Wiltern
06 – Santa Barbara, Calif. @ Arlington Theatre
07 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Warfield Theater
09 – Eugene, Ore. @ McDonald Theatre
10 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Ballroom
11 – Seattle, Wash. @ Neptune Theatre
12 – Seattle, Wash. @ Neptune Theatre
13 – Vancouver, B.C. @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre