lowercase people

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lowercase people is an organization that is divided into three major divisions: The lp Online Magazine, lp apparel, and the lowercase people Justice Fund.^[1] The organization was founded by the Alternative rock band Switchfoot. In late October 2007, the band announced on their youtube account page that they had created "Lowercase People Records" to help further the vision of lowercase people.

The lp Online Magazine serves to bring attention to notable works created by artists, writers, and musicians, and to introduce social issues worldwide.^[2] The magazine is released quarterly; currently there are three issues. Lowercase people apparel gathers the works of our generations' artists. They are sold as shirts, prints, stickers, and buttons. All profits go towards the lowercase people Justice Fund. In partnership with Geneva Global, the lowercase people Justice Fund, a non-profit organization, uses the money gained from the shirts and prints sold to aid Third World communities.

An example is their involvement with the Kuyasa Kids. The Kuyasa Kids are a choir in Africa that are made up of orphans infected with AIDS. Switchfoot has helped them to create a CD which is also sold through lowercase people.^[3] The proceeds will go towards the children's education. Jon Foreman also wrote "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" in reaction to their work with the Kuyasa Kids. Lowercase people have also collected donations with The Salvation Army for Hurricane Katrina victims.^[4] Tim Foreman explains:

"As a rock band, we're not overly idealistic about single-handedly changing the world, but we do know that people are listening to what we have to say ... so we want to use what platform we have been given to make a difference."^[5]

"We are humanity: beautiful and broken. We want to collide. We're curious. We're thinking out loud. We are the lowercase people. Join us as we dream."^[6] -Chad Butler

The name "lowercase people" is derived from Switchfoot's song "Company Car."

1 Issues
2 Lowercase People Records
3 Online Magazine Members
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Issues

[edit] Issue 1

Music:

Feature: Switchfoot vs. Reeve Oliver
Reviews: The Fray's How to Save a Life, Aloha's Here Comes Everyone, Common's Be, and The Futureheads' self-titled album
Bands: Reeve Oliver

Art:

Feature: Art As Play
Fine Artists: Jeremey Wright
Graphic Artists: Nessim Higson

Words:

Feature: A Love Supreme: The Spiritual Life of John Coltrane
Interview: David Dark and Chris Ahrens
Regulars: Dark Matter: Are You Reality-Based?, and Reasonable Doubts: The Heart of Man
Profiles: David Dark, Chris Ahrens, and Charlie Peacock

Justice:

Feature: Out Of South Africa: Random Thoughts in flight
Community: Kayamandi, South Africa
The lowercase people Justice Fund
Get Involved: Kuyasa Kids' Live in Kayamandi CD

[edit] Issue 2

Music:

Feature: Ryan O'Neal and Ron Sexsmith
Reviews: Circa Survive's Juturna, Richard Swift's The Novelist Secretly Canadian, Sufjan Stevens' Illinois Asthmatic Kitty, and The Rakes' Capture/Release
Bands: Ron Sexsmith and Sleeping at Last

Art:

Feature: Lain York and J Todd Greene
Fine Artists: Lain York and J Todd Greene
Graphic Artists: Jeff Kleinsmith

Words:

Feature: Between Memory and Mobility
Interview: George Plimpton and Ernest Hemingway
Regulars: Dark Matter: Getting In on the Act or How to Never Feel Uncool Again, and Reasonable Doubts: The Sea Hags
Profiles: Booker Browning, and Cameron Bird

Justice:

Feature: Anonymous in India: A travelogue
Community: India
The lowercase people Justice Fund
Get Involved: Donations

[edit] Issue 3

Music:

Feature: A Conversation between Mute Math and Mae
Reviews: Sharon Jones's Naturally, Willie Nile's Streets of New York, Jamie Lidell's Multiply, Cat Power's The Greatest, and Angels & Airwaves' We Don't Need to Whisper
Bands: Mae and Mute Math

Art:

Feature: A Conversation between Bobby Bailey and Jeremy Dean
Fine Artists: Jeremy Dean and Bobby Bailey
Graphic Artists: Bill Caywood

Words:

Feature: Where Truth Meets Traction
Interview: John Brown’s War on Terror
Regulars: Dark Matter: Everybody to the Limit, and Reasonable Doubts: Dodo Does Hollywood
Profiles: Won Kim

Justice:

Feature: Four Days in New Rwanda
Community: Rwanda, Africa
The lowercase people Justice Fund
Get Involved: Buy A T-Shirt, Donations, Reach Out (Invisible Children, Blood:Water Mission, International Justice Mission, Dalit Freedom Network)

[edit] Lowercase People Records

lowercase people Records

Parent company	lowercase people
Founded	2007
Founder	Switchfoot
Distributing label	Credential Recordings (for Jon Foreman EP's) ATO Records (Pending Announcement)
Genre	Alternative Rock Acoustic Rock Pop punk
Country of origin	United States
Location	San Diego, California
Official website	lowercasepeople.com

Lowercase People Records is the record label founded and run by the members of the band Switchfoot. It was founded after the band's split with their major label, Columbia/SonyBMG.

[edit] Formation

In October 2007, Jon Foreman announced on Switchfoot's official Youtube account page the formation of Lowercase People Records. This development happened some time after the band cut ties with their major label, Columbia/Sony BMG.

"Our goal was to remove the corporate barrier between our audience and our songs. Musically, we wanted to go places we've never been before. We wanted to put out a more diverse collection of musical projects with more artistic control. Since music plays such a crucial role of connecting people with important issues around the world, we wanted to be a part of a label that gives directly to social justice causes, one that is more eco friendly. Lowercase People Records is our attempt to do all of this and more.

Lowercase People is our attempt to better serve this community that has supported us through the years without a middle man in the way. As a band, this is the dream of a lifetime: to have no boundaries in our songs or in the ways that they are presented. So here's what you can expect... Over the course of the next few months we are going to release several diverse projects culminating in a new switchfoot release that will redefine who we are in a new independent era." ^[7]

[edit] First Release: Rebuild

On November 1st, 2007, Lowercase People Records released its first song ever, Rebuild, a song written by Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and Relient K's Matt Thiessen for their 2007 Appetite For Construction Tour. It was offered as a free download, with options to donate either time or money to Habitat For Humanity.