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".
Floating Vibes
Surfer Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need you in the here and now
Instead of dreamin' up a way to
Spread your name across the world somehow
When you told me you were leavin'
I wasn't thirsty for revenge
No I wasn't disappointed much at all
If you're movin' out to the west
Then you'd better learn how to surf
The tide will break in on itself
There are no ghosts to exhume or unearth
If you're gonna do it then do it
Otherwise you just might lose your nerve
I swear that ocean it swallowed me fully
And it might have to follow you home
When you wake up in the morning
And you hear that awful applause
Put it in your f**kin' napkin
And watch it dissolve
You could seal it in an envelope
Tuck it away in your safe
But you can't take it to the bank
And you can't take it back
The song "Floating Vibes" by Surfer Blood is an ode to being present in the moment and not getting too caught up in the idea of fame and success. The first few lines of the song dismiss the idea of waiting for something like the second coming and instead focus on the here and now, specifically the need for someone in the present moment. The lyrics then move on to discussing the danger of dreaming about fame and fortune, urging the listener to not get too caught up in the idea of spreading their name across the world.
The second verse deals with moving on from a relationship and not feeling the need to seek revenge or feeling disappointed, because the person will likely return. The following lines suggest that if you're moving to the west, you should learn to surf and be in tune with the tide, rather than looking for ghosts from the past. The third verse urges the listener to take action and be brave, or else they might lose their nerve. The final lines remind the listener that all the applause and adulation in the world is just temporary, and not something that can be taken to the bank or held onto forever.
Overall, the song encourages living in the present moment, being true to oneself, and not getting too caught up in the idea of fame and success. It's a reminder that true happiness and fulfillment can be found in the here and now, rather than lofty dreams of the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Forget the second coming
Don't worry about the future or some grand event, focus on the present and what's in front of you
I need you in the here and now
I want you with me in this moment, not just as a future plan
Instead of dreamin' up a way to
Stop fantasizing about how to
Spread your name across the world somehow
Making yourself well-known globally isn't the most important thing, focus on what's real and meaningful right now
When you told me you were leavin'
When you said you were going away
I wasn't thirsty for revenge
I didn't feel a strong desire for payback
No I wasn't disappointed much at all
Honestly, I wasn't that upset
Cause you'll be back again
I know you'll come back eventually
If you're movin' out to the west
If you're planning on relocating to the western part of the country
Then you'd better learn how to surf
You should acquire the skill of surfing, since you'll be living near the ocean
The tide will break in on itself
Nature has its own way of flowing and changing
There are no ghosts to exhume or unearth
There's no need to revisit past memories or experiences
If you're gonna do it then do it
If you're going to take action, commit to it
Otherwise you just might lose your nerve
If you don't fully commit, you might back out or lose your confidence
I swear that ocean it swallowed me fully
The sea completely engulfed me
And it might have to follow you home
The sea might leave an indelible impact on you
When you wake up in the morning
At the start of a new day
And you hear that awful applause
When you hear insincere and meaningless praise
Put it in your f**kin' napkin
Dismiss it as not worth remembering
And watch it dissolve
Let it fade away and lose its power
You could seal it in an envelope
You could hide it away
Tuck it away in your safe
Keep it locked away
But you can't take it to the bank
It's not going to increase your worth or value
And you can't take it back
Once it's said or done, you can't undo it
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
@UNEXC
Such a good underrated band...
@jorgehenrybautistasanchez5206
Para mí,una de los mejores temas del 2010.Doble Nueve,en ese entonces,se encargó de darle una versión extendida,pero ésta original,no se compara a nada.Lastima por uno de los integrantes de Surfer Blood,que sufrió la pérdida de su bajista principal,Thomas Fekete(Fekit,para los que no pueden pronunciar bien el inglés),a finales de mayo del 2016,luego de batallar contra un cáncer abdominal,que le detectaron en el 2015,y que hizo metástasis en el resto de su cuerpo.Floating Vibes fue el tema que se impuso en ese entonces,aparte de Demon Dance,al que no le dieron mucha importancia.A pesar de todo,gracias Doble Nueve,por engrandecer la música,y cambiar la vida de muchas personas.Saludos desde Lima Norte.
@aidanrockstar
Wonderful band
@stephwroe
FAVOURITE SONG OF ALL TIME
@sturj4021
randomly found this when I was 15. I'm 27 and still come back to it. idk why
@straightfaya7765
Damn this is so good 😊
@cpgpeg
Bring it back, it's a vibe and just throw this version on at like Harrys Banana Stand.
@oofmanr3732
fucking love this song
@michaelspeight7231
❤Much love❤
@michaelspeight7231
Just sending out positive vibes 4 such a solid Act!