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".
Catholic Pagans
Surfer Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I could never hold a job
Coupled with a weakness for cocaine and liquor
Not much a candidate for love
When I met you I broke the mold
I fell apart and combed my hair
Whiskey shakes for ten whole days
I don't want to be a catholic pagan now that you're here
We fell in on each other
For love, survival and everything else
Please don't padlock your parents bomb shelter
Or fill her up with dust and ash
A landfill mecca for burn-outs and listless
Adolescent sour mash
I'm not saying that I've earned love
But I could really use it now
So turn out the lights over and over and over
We'll figure out the rest somehow
I don't wanna be your Russian bride
Not any more
Barack Hussein Obama would have a field day
If he knew at all
So-o-o-o-o have to go
Oooooooo
Have to go-o-o-o-o
The song "Catholic Pagans" by Surfer Blood is a reflection on the personal struggles of the singer, their relationship with their partner, and their desperation to find love and acceptance. The first verse describes the singer's restless nature, their inability to hold a steady job and their addiction to drugs and alcohol. This self-destructive behavior makes the singer a less desirable candidate for love. However, when they meet their partner, they feel a sense of transformation. They become more focused and try to stay away from their vices. They declare that they no longer want to go back to their old ways and be a "catholic pagan" now that their partner is in their life.
The second verse urges their partner not to shut them out of their life. They plead with their partner to not discard their relationship and to not turn their shelter into a place that is inhospitable. They confess that they are not deserving of love, but they need it nonetheless. The song ends on a contemplative note, with the singer stating that they do not want to be their partner's Russian bride anymore. The repetition of "have to go" could symbolize the singer's desire to leave behind their past selves and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Never could be still for long
I am a restless person and can't stay in one place or situation for too long
And I could never hold a job
I cannot stick to a job and have a poor work history
Coupled with a weakness for cocaine and liquor
Additionally, I struggle with substance abuse with drugs and alcohol
Not much a candidate for love
Therefore, I am not a suitable partner for anyone looking for a steady relationship
When I met you I broke the mold
But when I met you, I changed and found myself stepping out of my usual habits and routines
I fell apart and combed my hair
I was so smitten by you that I became disoriented and didn't know what to do
Whiskey shakes for ten whole days
I was so consumed by my emotions that I turned to whiskey to cope, and my hands shook for days
Stayed off the streets at night for weeks
I also became paranoid and didn't venture out at night for a while
I don't want to be a catholic pagan now that you're here
Before you, I was lost, confused and didn't have a solid belief system, but now I don't need that anymore
We fell in on each other
We leaned on each other and supported each other
For love, survival and everything else
We depended on each other for love, to get through difficult times, and for everything else in between
Please don't padlock your parents bomb shelter
Don't shut me out and keep me locked away from your life and past
Or fill her up with dust and ash
Don't leave me in the past or neglect our relationship
A landfill mecca for burn-outs and listless
Don't turn your parents' shelter into a place for people who have given up and don't have any goals or purpose in life anymore
Adolescent sour mash
Especially not for teenagers who are still struggling to figure out life
I'm not saying that I've earned love
I am not entitled to love, and I've probably made mistakes that may have jeopardized our relationship
But I could really use it now
But despite that, I need love now more than ever
So turn out the lights over and over and over
Let's forget everything else and just lose ourselves in each other again and again
We'll figure out the rest somehow
No matter what happens, we'll manage and find a way to work things out
I don't wanna be your Russian bride
I don't want our relationship to have a power dynamic where you have all the control and I am a subservient wife
Not anymore
I am my own person, and I need mutual respect in a relationship
Barack Hussein Obama would have a field day
Even the former US President is aware of the issues with gender inequality and would take notice
If he knew at all
But I am not one to draw attention to these issues, and I hope you understand
So-o-o-o-o have to go
Nevertheless, I am still conflicted with what I want, and I need some time to think
Oooooooo
Have to go-o-o-o-o
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PAUL PITTS, THOMAS FEKETE, THOMAS JOHN FEKETE, TYLER SCHWARZ, TYLER JERRY SCHWARZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind