Founding members John Paul Pitts and Tyler Schwarz started playing music together in Orlando, Florida. They met Thomas Fekete at an Ultra Music Festival after party in Miami and the group was formed with the immediate goal of releasing a record and touring nonstop.
The band was originally called Jabroni Sandwich. Schwarz randomly came up with the name Surfer Blood during a conversation with Pitts about his surfer backpack from high school.
The band's 2009 debut single "Swim" gained much critical acclaim and was named as the 37th best track on Pitchfork's 100 Best Songs of 2009. They released their debut album Astro Coast in January 2010.
The band were widely considered to be the breakout band of 2009's CMJ Music Marathon. In March 2010, playing songs from their debut album Astro Coast, Surfer Blood made quite a splash at the SXSW NPR music party (and returned to SXSW in 2011). In May 2010, the band played at the ATP music festival curated by Pavement along with other groups such as Broken Social Scene, The Walkmen, and Atlas Sound. Later that month, Surfer Blood headed over to Spain to join the lineup at the San Miguel Primavera Sound Festival. In August of that year, Surfer Blood finished out the summer playing two more festivals; Splendour in the Grass in Australia and Summer Sonic in Tokyo.
The band was chosen by Les Savy Fav to perform at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that they co-curated in December 2011 in Minehead, England.
On October 25, 2011, Surfer Blood released the Tarot Classics EP on Kanine Records. The EP's first single "Miranda" debuted on Pitchfork on August 30, 2011 and "I'm Not Ready" was named NPR's Song of the Day on December 8, 2011. Artists that contributed remixes to the EP include Totally Sincere (Connor Hanwick of the Drums and Peggy Wang of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart), Speculator, School of Seven Bells and Allen Blickle.
The band opened for the Pixies during their Doolittle Lost Cities Tour in 2011. The tour came about after Pitts met the Pixies in an airport in New Zealand and they said they were already familiar with Surfer Blood's music. Surfer Blood performed a cover of their song "Gigantic" for the AV Club's music-video series "AV Undercover" which Pitts says he'd like to think that was "the needle that broke the camel's back when it came to the decision" to tour with them.
On January 9, 2012, they appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon where they performed the single "Miranda" off of Tarot Classics. The next day, news spread that the band would be entering the studio in February 2012 with producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Built to Spill) to record their highly anticipated second album which was released on Warner Bros. Records.
In May 2012, the band confirmed via their Twitter account that they were moving to California on May 12, 2012 to record their second album with legendary producer Gil Norton.
On January 21, 2013, they uploaded a new song off their next album, Pythons, called "Weird Shapes".
In February 2014, the band announced that work on their third record had begun.
On May 20, 2014, the band debuted a video of them playing a new song titled "Island". The song has been played before back in 2011, during various radio sessions.
On September 16, 2014, a new song titled "NW Passage" was debuted on Soundcloud, as part of their split single with We Are Scientists.
On February 17, 2015, the band announced their third album "1000 Palms" and that it would be released on Fierce Panda / Joyful Noise Recordings on May 12. The lead single, "Dorian", was premiered on BBC Radio 1 at midnight.
Original guitarist Thomas Fekete left the band in 2015 shortly after the announcement of their third album, "1000 Palms," due to a medical diagnosis for a rare form of cancer (Sarcoma) that had spread to his lungs and spine. The band announced a fundraising effort to help alleviate Thomas' medical bills through the site GoFundMe on April 20, 2015. On May 31, 2016, Fekete's wife Jessica announced that he had passed away.
In April 2015, the song "Swim" was featured in an episode of the Netflix series "Daredevil."
Surfer Blood shared the video for album track "Island" in June 2015, in support of "1000 Palms".
In October 2015, the band announced that their longtime bassist, Kevin Williams, was leaving the band to pursue a new job in Austin, TX. The band later announced that their long time friend from high school, Lindsey Mills, would be replacing Kevin on bass.
Discography
Albums
Astro Coast (2010) #124 U.S.
Pythons (2013) #127 U.S.
1000 Palms (2015) #160 U.S.
Snowdonia (2017)
EPs
Tarot Classics (October 25, 2011)
Singles
"Swim" (2009)
"Slow Jabroni" (2009)
"Take It Easy" (17-04-2010, Kanine Records)
"Swim" (01-05-2010, re-release on Rough Trade)
"Floating Vibes" (28-09-2010, Kanine Records)
"Miranda" (2011, Kanine Records)
"Demon Dance" (2013, Warner Bros. Records)
"Spanish Bombs" (2013, Warner Bros. Records)
"I Can't Explain" (2015, Joyful Noise Recordings)
Appearances in media
The band's song "Swim" is playable in the video game Power Gig: Rise of the SixString. "Swim" and "Floating Vibes" have also been released as downloadable content for the Rock Band video game series through its Rock Band Network service. "Floating Vibes" also appears in video game "Test Drive Unlimited 2". The band's song and music video for "Demon Dance" appears in the video game "Guitar Hero Live".
* Demon Dance
Surfer Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When it rings true
There's nothing I
Can hold you to
The hounds of hell
Need love and care
The hounds need
Organs and limbs to tear
You and me are apples in trees
Don't fall far from me
Like a Pentecostal choir on Sunday
I can suck the venom out of your bones
Come on, Raven let me connect to the server,
I could be the one who cuts down the overgrowth
A word has weight
When it rings true,
And never when
It comes to you
Some secrets you
Should never tell
They'll feed you to
The hounds of hell
You and me are apples in trees
Don't fall far from me
Like a Pentecostal choir on Sunday
I can suck the venom out of your bones
Come on, Raven let me collect on my winnings
I could be the one who puts you back on the throne
Apologies, meet apologies
We could demon dance all night
Teeth as white as snow
In the vertigo,
Caked in phosphorescent light
And the apples are as sweet
In the nosebleed seats.
Like a Pentecostal choir on Sunday
I can suck the venom out of your bones
Come on, Raven let me collect on my winnings,
I could be the one who puts you back
on the throne
The lyrics of Surfer Blood's song Demon Dance contain a variety of themes and allusions, making it a rich source for interpretation. The first verse highlights the power of words: when they are true, they have weight and can hold someone accountable, but when they are false or hollow, they have no effect. The line "The hounds of hell need love and care" evokes a surprising image of demonic creatures in need of affection, but the next line twists this sentiment by suggesting that they are still violent beasts seeking to tear apart their prey. The chorus, "You and me are apples in trees / Don't fall far from me," suggests a sense of connection and inseparability between two individuals.
The second verse begins with a repetition of the first verse but adds the warning that some secrets should never be shared, lest they attract the hounds of hell. The second half of the verse uses the same metaphor of apples in trees and connection, but this time it is framed as a warning rather than a comfort. The third and final verse introduces the concept of a "demon dance," which could be interpreted as a metaphorical dance with one's own demons or a literal dance with demonic forces. The line "Teeth as white as snow / In the vertigo, / Caked in phosphorescent light" creates a surreal and eerie image of a dance floor. The final lines use religious imagery and suggest that the singer (presumably the singer) could be a savior figure for the listener ("sucking the venom out of your bones" and "putting you back on the throne").
Line by Line Meaning
A word has weight
The words we speak have an impact and can hold significance.
When it rings true
When our words are honest and sincere, they can truly resonate with others.
There's nothing I Can hold you to
I cannot make you feel obligated to do something just because of my words.
The hounds of hell
A reference to the destructive forces of negativity and chaos.
Need love and care
These negative forces can be combatted with positivity and nurturing.
The hounds need Organs and limbs to tear
Without love and care, negativity and chaos have the potential to cause harm and destructiveness.
You and me are apples in trees
A metaphor for the closeness and connection between two individuals.
Don't fall far from me
Let us continue to stay close and avoid drifting apart.
Like a Pentecostal choir on Sunday
Evokes a sense of passion and enthusiasm, like the energy at a religious gathering.
I can suck the venom out of your bones
I can take away the pain and negativity you are feeling.
Come on, Raven let me connect to the server
Using the titular Raven as an intermediary or messenger to connect with someone or something else.
I could be the one who cuts down the overgrowth
A desire to help someone push through obstacles and overcome challenges.
And never when It comes to you
Sometimes, when speaking to specific individuals, our words lose their weight and impact.
Some secrets you Should never tell
Some things are best left unsaid, sometimes for our own good.
They'll feed you to The hounds of hell
Sharing certain secrets or information can lead to undesirable outcomes or consequences.
Apologies, meet apologies
A situation where each side is apologizing to the other, possibly in an attempt to resolve conflict.
We could demon dance all night
Acknowledging the possibility of indulging in destructive behavior or tempting fate, possibly leading to dangerous or harmful situations.
Teeth as white as snow
A visual image of purity and innocence.
In the vertigo, Caked in phosphorescent light
Describing the disorienting, overwhelming feeling that can come with brightness and vividness.
And the apples are as sweet In the nosebleed seats
Despite being far away, the good things in life can still be enjoyed and appreciated.
Come on, Raven let me collect on my winnings
Once again, using Raven as a symbol or representation for someone who can help achieve success or victory.
I could be the one who puts you back on the throne
Willingness to help lift someone up and restore their position of status or power.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PAUL PITTS, KEVIN ROBERT WILLIAMS, THOMAS JOHN FEKETE, TYLER JERRY SCHWARZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind