Fiction Family
"Fiction Family" (Vinyl)

The lovechild of Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman and Nickel Creek's Sean Watkins, this one-off album was released in 2009.

Or at least, I thought it was going to be a one-off.  Between the busy schedules both members keep they found time to recruit a drummer and bassist into the fold and record and release a second album, 'Fiction Family Reunion' which came out in early 2013.

What I enjoy about these side projects is the relaxed easy-going sense. You don't feel there's any pressure to write the kind of music that fans expect from Switchfoot or Nickel Creek.  Here they can write exactly what they want and trust that true fans will find their music appealing.

I remember reading an interview with Jon Foreman when Switchfoot was just beginning to take off.  He talked about how he wrote a song in 20 minutes and that was how most of the songs on Switchfoot albums came to be.  While this is a talent, and I regard Foreman's writing to be amongst the most tuneful, pleasant songs I know of, there's also an inherent shallowness that comes from a process that doesn't involve a lot of soul-searching.

This music is fun to listen to, relaxed and intimate feeling, but I don't believe it will climb beyond a footnote in either musician's careers.