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".
Harmonix
Surfer Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I'll never see this place again.
So please, please, please, don't wait for me to try and get it together.
Please don't wait for me to reappear, cause I'm not here.
Because, I won't wait around for the grass to grow back now.
I won't wait around for your vaults to open, let me in somehow.
I think about it every day.
And I won't wait around, for the ice to thaw out now.
I won't wait around for your heart to open, and let me in somehow.
And I won't fuckin fold, Oh oh, Oh oh
For perfection's in your own, I hope. Oh oh.
And I won't wait around.
Oh oh, Oh oh
For you to figure it out.
The lyrics of Surfer Blood's song "Harmonix" convey a sentiment of frustration and disappointment with a relationship that could have been great, but ultimately falls apart. The singer expresses regret over the fact that they could have been the best of friends with the person they are addressing, but it seems that this opportunity has been lost. They are resigned to the fact that they will never see this place again, and they plead with the other person not to wait for them to get their act together, as it seems that the singer is not in a good place mentally or emotionally. They cannot wait for the grass to grow back or for the other person's "vaults to open" to let them in.
Throughout the song, the singer repeats that they won't wait around for things to change. They won't wait for the ice to thaw or for the other person's heart to open and let them in. They're frustrated that they're being shut out and kept at a distance. The repeated refrain of "Oh oh, Oh oh" expresses a sort of resignation or apathy; the singer won't give up, but they're also not quite sure what to do next. The final line, "And I won't fuckin fold, for perfection's in your own, I hope," suggests that maybe the other person is putting too much pressure on themselves or the relationship to be perfect, and that is causing things to fall apart.
Overall, the lyrics of "Harmonix" paint a picture of a relationship that has soured, but also express a sense of stubborn determination in the face of disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
We could have been the best of friends.
Our relationship had a lot of potential to be great, but that never happened.
Now I'll never see this place again.
I'm leaving and won't be coming back.
So please, please, please, don't wait for me to try and get it together.
Don't hold out hope for me to fix myself and come back.
Please don't wait for me to reappear, cause I'm not here.
I'm gone and not coming back, so don't expect to hear from me.
Because, I won't wait around for the grass to grow back now.
I won't stick around and wait for things to reset and try again.
I won't wait around for your vaults to open, let me in somehow.
I won't wait for you to open up and let me back into your life.
I think about it every day.
I still think about our relationship constantly.
When you complain when you walk away.
I remember how you used to complain and walk away from our conflicts.
And I won't wait around, for the ice to thaw out now.
I'm not going to wait for things to change and get better.
I won't wait around for your heart to open, and let me in somehow.
I'm not going to wait for you to forgive me and let me back into your life.
And I won't fuckin fold, Oh oh, Oh oh
I refuse to give up and back down.
For perfection's in your own, I hope. Oh oh.
I hope you find your own version of perfection.
And I won't wait around.
I'm not going to wait anymore.
For you to figure it out.
I'm not going to wait for you to come to a realization or understanding.
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
Delimart
So many memories of this song.
Sean McCoy
I wish this song would never end
Aly Skye
2020 Vibes?! Still listening from sophomore year.... so much nostalgia!!! ❤️🎶💯🔥
Genevieve Kuzak
this song is really awesome
.Scheben
I have the album! This song is so good and the rest of the album is just as good :)
captainbadd
Surfer Blood is (are?) a solid band. Me gusta.
LTVKlittyLickaVaginaLover/Muff diver_Alpha-Male#SoldierfromHell
This song makes me so emotional. makes me think about my whole entire life
Miranda Jones
saw them live, in love with this song.
Luke
Man listened to this album all last summer. What a chill ass summer that was
meg opry
This song is helping me get over a break-up...i listen to it on repeat.