While in college in Southern California 18 years ago, three guys decided to start an alternative rock band. Since then they’ve gained two members, released nine full-length albums, and won a Grammy.

Switchfoot’s most recent project, a documentary film titled “Fading West,” will soon lead the band from surfing in San Diego to a concert at Martin Woldson Theater in Spokane.

Fading West is not only the name of the film but also the name of the band’s most recent album.

Guitarist Drew Shirley, who has been with the band since 2005, said the film “is a documentary about chasing waves and chasing songs.”

“Basically, we set out to find a new inspiration,” Shirley said. “When you’re a band for nine albums, you can’t write the same songs.”

Switchfoot gained early recognition with its 2002 album “Learning to Breathe,” from which several songs were featured in the film “A Walk to Remember.” Over the years, mainstream radio began to pick up their music as exposure continued through TV and film.

Originally, the band had an indie-rock appeal. But as mainstream exposure became more frequent, their sound became more layered, which obtained a pop appeal.

In their latest album, Switchfoot holds on to this period of growth in “Who We Are,” which Shirley said speaks for the band as a whole.

“The song has us starting off in a mini-van,” he said. “We were just kids wanting to play a song for anyone who would listen. It’s about us growing up.”

In the song, the children of the band members lend backup vocals during the chorus, which is Shirley’s favorite part of the piece.

“We were kids,” he said. “And now our kids are singing with us. It shows that legacy.”

The entire album and accompanying film dig into the character of the band itself. Upon beginning production, Switchfoot decided they no longer wanted to be a surface-level band. They wanted to be honest and bare all for their fan base.

This wasn’t easy though.

“How honest do you want to be?” Shirley said. “Some things happened that none of us expected.”

For example, at one point in the film, lead singer Jon Foreman and guitarist Tim Foreman’s father has to undergo an emergency operation. This happened in the middle of Switchfoot’s world tour.

“It was a hard moment for the band,” Shirley said. “Should we carry on? Should we cancel everything?”

With situations like that, the existence of the band was tested. As each member struggled emotionally, physically and spiritually, the inspiration they were seeking began to make itself visible and the songs of “Fading West” formed.

“Love Alone Is Worth the Fight,” “The World You Want,” and “All Or Nothing At All” are a testament of each band member’s moral convictions. “When We Come Alive,” “Let It Out,” and “Back to the Beginning” each pay homage to their passion and original voice.

“The best song is the most honest song,” Shirley said. “It can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.”

This honesty is expressed in their open, passionate declarations of love for both surfing and their faith. This approach to their music has provided the band a broad appeal and significant impact in mainstream, extreme sport, and Christian music scenes.

Whether it’s a song featured on ESPN, a gig at a surf contest, or a performance at a Christian festival, Switchfoot participates and avoids any controversy.

“We just be who we are,” Shirley said. “Christianity is a faith, not a genre.”

To make the album more engaging, songs like “BA55” and “Saltwater Heart” among others named above incorporated musical styles from the bands travels in Bali, the Netherlands, and Africa.

The album works both as an independent album and a soundtrack to the documentary film.

Ultimately with this tour, Switchfoot desires to take the message of the music they’ve written and deliver it to the audience on a personal level. The stage is the best way they know how.

“We have a motto: ‘Life is short. Live it well,’” Shirley said. “To me, what that means, whether you realize it or not, the moments that you have right now are very unique and will be gone very fast. You should look into the deeper things of life and the impact those things can have with the world you’re a part (of).”

Each member of Switchfoot is doing exactly that and doing the best they can to create the world they want.

Switchfoot’s Spokane performance will begin at 7 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are still available online at ticketwest.com.