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".
Drinking Problem
Surfer Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You think you've got a problem
Baby, you ain't think enough (?)
At least I know who my
At least I know who my friends are
At least I know who my
At least I know who my
At least I know who my
At least I know who my
At least I know who my
At least I know who my
At least I know who my
Yeah man you think that you've got bugs
? longitude
? longitude
You've already done too much
You've already done too much
At least I know who my
At least I know who my
Even with your resolutions
Hypocrisy is digging in
You don't need a point of reference
You just need to be afraid
Even though I can't believe you
It's not like I don't want to
Anyone can make excuses
At least I know who my
Anyone can make excuses
At least I know who my
Come on in if you think you've got bugs
Come on in if you think you've got bugs
Come on in if you think you've got bugs
Come on in if you think you've got bugs
Come on in if you think you've got bugs
Come on in if you think you've got bugs
At least I know who my
At least I know who my friends are
The lyrics of "Drinking Problem" by Surfer Blood depict the singer's response to someone who claims to have a bug problem. The song begins with the singer telling this person that they have not thought about their problem enough and that they do not have as serious of an issue as they believe. The singer then goes on to say that, unlike this person, they at least know who their friends are, implying that this person may not have good relationships due to their perceived problem.
The lyrics continue to discuss the idea of hypocrisy, with the singer stating that even with the person's attempt at resolutions, they still fall victim to their own judgmental nature. The chorus ends with an invitation for the person with the bug problem to come inside, seemingly offering a helpful hand to a person in need.
Overall, "Drinking Problem" is a song that deals with themes of judgment, hypocrisy, and friendship. The singer seems to be offering advice and reassurance to someone who is struggling with what may be a complicated issue.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, you think you've got bugs
The singer is addressing someone who thinks they have problems or issues in their life.
You think you've got a problem
The singer acknowledges that the addressed person may have a problem, but it's not as significant as they think it is.
Baby, you ain't think enough (?)
The singer thinks the addressed person needs to reconsider their perspective and recognize that their problem is minor and not worth the worry.
At least I know who my
The artist is expressing gratitude for knowing who their true friends are.
At least I know who my friends are
The artist values their close relationships and is thankful for their supportive friends.
Yeah man you think that you've got bugs
The singer repeats their earlier belief that the addressed person is overthinking their problem.
? longitude
The meaning of this line is not clear, but it may be interpreted as the singer's frustration with the addressed person focusing on trivial issues.
? longitude
The line may continue the sentiment expressed in the previous line, suggesting that the addressed person doesn't have the perspective or awareness to recognize the bigger picture and what's really important.
You've already done too much
The artist thinks that the addressed person may have already taken extreme measures to deal with their perceived problem, which may be unnecessary and harmful.
Even with your resolutions
The artist acknowledges that the addressed person may have tried to fix their problem or make changes, but it may not have been enough or effective.
Hypocrisy is digging in
The singer observes that the addressed person may not be sincere in their efforts to address their problem, and their actions may conflict with their words.
You don't need a point of reference
The artist suggests that the addressed person doesn't need to compare themselves with others or seek validation to feel better about their problem.
You just need to be afraid
The singer thinks that the addressed person may be overly anxious or fearful about their problem, which may be hindering their ability to cope with it.
Even though I can't believe you
The singer may have doubts about the addressed person's behavior or attitude towards their problem, but they still care about them.
It's not like I don't want to
The singer clarifies that despite their skepticism or disagreement with the addressed person's perspective, they still wish them well and want to support them.
Anyone can make excuses
The artist implies that the addressed person may be rationalizing or justifying their behavior or problem, which is a common human tendency.
Come on in if you think you've got bugs
This line may be an invitation or challenge for the addressed person to confront their problem and seek help or advice.
At least I know who my
The singer repeats their earlier expression of gratitude for having supportive and reliable friends.
At least I know who my friends are
The singer emphasizes the importance of having trustworthy and caring friends who can help us navigate life's challenges.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PAUL PITTS, KEVIN ROBERT WILLIAMS, THOMAS JOHN FEKETE, TYLER JERRY SCHWARZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Barry Nice
This is exactly what I've been waiting for . Thank you so much for the drop . <3
Laura
wow i love this band! i'm so glad my good friend showed me them!
Darth Quivi
Can't wait to see them on saturday!!! Going to be a great show!!
Zane Sary
this band knows what they are doing!
128yeahman
Still come back to this one, gold
dgillespiemusic
damn good, damn damn good
ThePhatty73
Its like The Drums, but if they were good, with like proper tunes and melodies and stuff ;-)
Lord Rat
kinda like Interpol... i like it!
rachel
at least i know who my real friends are
RoboKorean
My shit