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".
Gravity
Surfer Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guarded by a plagiarizing heart
I still can't believe you'd keeps yours with me
Half a world between us
Half a world to cut and paste away
Gravity will bring our orbits together
I think we both can see our own gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Keeping up a furious pace
Leader of the pack in the chase
I know I can make a mess of things
When I wish on Saturn's rings
Our love can't be seen by the naked eye
[Chorus]
By now we both can see our own gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Leader of the pack in the chase
Breaking our necks in this race
Never stopping when we oughta
Breathing you back into my lungs
Never stopping where we oughta
You're my other half
I could fall in love with you again
In love with you it's all brand new
Never thought that this would happen to me
I think we both can see our gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Breaking our necks in this race
Leader of the pack in the chase
The lyrics to Surfer Blood's "Gravity" suggest that while the world may be full of secrets and guarded hearts, the singer is surprised that his partner continues to share her secrets with him. Despite being separated by half a world, they are drawn to each other by the force of gravity. The chorus repeats the idea that their individual "gravities" keep their orbits together as they move around the sun together. The song also acknowledges the difficulties of their relationship, with lines like "never stopping when we oughta" and "breaking our necks in this race," but ultimately expresses the feeling of being complete and in love with their partner.
The use of space and planetary imagery throughout the song reinforces the idea of two people being brought together by a force greater than themselves. The singer's comparison of their love to being in orbit around the sun portrays the idea that their love is necessary for their existence and movement through the world. Also, the mentioning of "plagiarizing heart" suggests that they've been hurt in the past, but are still willing to take risks and put faith in each other.
Line by Line Meaning
In a world full of secrets
Despite the world holding many secrets, and people keeping them hidden, the singer is surprised that their loved one is keeping their secrets with them.
Guarded by a plagiarizing heart
The singer's heart is guarded and unoriginal, possibly in reference to past experiences, making it difficult for them to trust and be intimate with others.
I still can't believe you'd keep yours with me
Despite the singer's heart being guarded, they are grateful that their partner trusts them with their secrets.
Half a world between us
There is physical distance between the artist and their partner.
Half a world to cut and paste away
The artist's partner can easily manipulate and change their digital communication due to the distance between them.
Gravity will bring our orbits together
Despite the distance, the force of gravity which pulls planets together will bring the singer and their partner back into each other's lives.
I think we both can see our own gravity
The singer and their partner both recognize the magnetic pull they have towards each other.
Is keeping our orbits in place
The force of the gravity they feel is keeping their relationship steady and stable, even over long distances.
We've been around the sun together as one
The duration of their relationship has seen them travel one full orbit around the sun together, supporting each other's growth.
Keeping up a furious pace
They have been progressing quickly in their lives and their relationship, driven by passion and determination.
Leader of the pack in the chase
They see themselves as taking the lead amongst their peers and striving to be ahead in life's journey together.
I know I can make a mess of things
The artist admits to making mistakes and causing chaos in their life and possible relationship in the past.
When I wish on Saturn's rings
The singer's wishes and desires involve celestial objects such as the rings of Saturn, indicating a dreamy and imaginative personality.
Our love can't be seen by the naked eye
Their strong love and connection cannot be easily noticed or recognized by others.
By now we both can see our own gravity
Both the singer and their partner have come to understand the magnetic attraction they share.
Breaking our necks in this race
They are putting extreme effort and strain on themselves to stay together in a competitive environment.
Never stopping when we oughta
They often continue to push themselves even when they should be resting, indicating dedication and determination.
Breathing you back into my lungs
The singer feels as though their partner is vital to their well-being and breathes life into them.
You're my other half
The singer feels that their partner completes them and makes them whole.
I could fall in love with you again
The artist feels that their love for their partner is always growing and they could easily fall in love with them again.
In love with you it's all brand new
Each moment spent in love with their partner feels fresh, like a new experience.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PAUL PITTS, KEVIN ROBERT WILLIAMS, THOMAS JOHN FEKETE, TYLER JERRY SCHWARZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hikikomori
In a world full of secrets
Guarded by a plagiarizing heart
I still can't believe you'd keeps yours with me
Half a world between us
Half a world to cut and paste away
Gravity will bring our orbits together
I think we both can see our own gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Keeping up a furious pace
Leader of the pack in the chase
I know I can make a mess of things
When I wish on Saturn's rings
Our love can't be seen by the naked eye
By now we both can see our own gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Leader of the pack in the chase
Breaking our necks in this race
Never stopping when we oughta
Breathing you back into my lungs
Never stopping where we oughta
You're my other half
I could fall in love with you again
In love with you it's all brand new
Never thought that this would happen to me
I think we both can see our gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Breaking our necks in this race
Leader of the pack in the chase
Nixer Doyle
Pythons is a phenomenally good pop rock album. Easily my favourite SB record and one of the best of the teens.
MrSumboby
My favorite song from the new album right now !
Emily W.
Walking through a 24 hr supermarket at 2am, this song came on. First time I've ever heard it and it won't get out of my head now. Lol
White Men are So Sexy
It's a nice song, has a little 70's style in the background..., I'm always hearing this song at the Marshalls Department Store.., Great Song!!👍👍
Nūdoru Catburger
That's funny, I heard it at Marshalls/Homegoods too. I actually work there and I was in the backroom! I just had to find it.
Art Green
Can't get enough of this song
Hikikomori
In a world full of secrets
Guarded by a plagiarizing heart
I still can't believe you'd keeps yours with me
Half a world between us
Half a world to cut and paste away
Gravity will bring our orbits together
I think we both can see our own gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Keeping up a furious pace
Leader of the pack in the chase
I know I can make a mess of things
When I wish on Saturn's rings
Our love can't be seen by the naked eye
By now we both can see our own gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Leader of the pack in the chase
Breaking our necks in this race
Never stopping when we oughta
Breathing you back into my lungs
Never stopping where we oughta
You're my other half
I could fall in love with you again
In love with you it's all brand new
Never thought that this would happen to me
I think we both can see our gravity
Is keeping our orbits in place
We've been around the sun together as one
Breaking our necks in this race
Leader of the pack in the chase
Kian Raz
Geez, can't stop listening to the album and this song specially!
antifolkhero
This is by far their best album. Best hooks, best songwriting, and best overall "album" quality. I am blown away this isn't on everyone's top ten lists for the year. There isn't another band in rock music today writing songs this catchy.
InterpolFL
Best song on the album for me.