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".
Swim
Surfer Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look at the hair on the back of my neck.
Standing up on the rooftops,
Remembering everything she said.
Swim to reach the end,
But I am steady not to offend,
On whom can you depend?
Swim to reach the end
Swim to reach the end
Swim to reach the end
Swim to reach the end
Lucid afternoon dream
Cosmopolitan scene.
Look at what's in store for me.
Heads will turn in disbelief.
Relish in your energy.
That's the line of symmetry. (x2)
Swim to reach the end,
But I am steady not to offend,
On whom can you depend?
Swim to reach the end.
Swim to reach the end
Swim to reach the end
Swim to reach the end
Swim to reach the end
The opening lyric in Surfer Blood's song "Swim" has the singer feeling suffocated by someone who's been hanging over him, while also being self-conscious about the hair standing up on the back of his neck. Standing on the rooftops, he's remembering something important that someone once said to him. This could either be a lover, friend or even a family member who has had a significant impact on his life.
The next verse switches gears to a lucid afternoon dream where everything seems within reach. The mention of a cosmopolitan scene and heads turning in disbelief seem to imply that this dream is one of success, fame, and finding one's place in the world. The line of symmetry suggests balance and harmony, and the singer seems content in the moment, relishing in his energy.
The chorus repeats the phrase "swim to reach the end," which to me, seems to be a metaphor for striving to achieve one's goals in life. The singer understands that the path to success is not always easy, but he's willing to work hard and not offend anyone along the way. The final repetition of "swim to reach the end" suggests that he's resolved to do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means swimming against the tide.
Line by Line Meaning
Quit hanging over me,
Stop bothering me,
Look at the hair on the back of my neck.
I am on high alert and feeling threatened.
Standing up on the rooftops,
In a position of power or visibility.
Remembering everything she said.
Reflecting on past conversations and experiences.
Swim to reach the end,
Working hard towards a goal.
But I am steady not to offend,
Trying to achieve my goal without upsetting anyone.
On whom can you depend?
Who can I rely on?
Lucid afternoon dream
A clear, vivid daydream.
Cosmopolitan scene.
An urban setting with a diverse mix of people and cultures.
Look at what's in store for me.
Excited about future opportunities or experiences.
Heads will turn in disbelief.
I will do something unexpected or impressive.
Relish in your energy.
Enjoy and make the most of your enthusiasm.
That's the line of symmetry. (x2)
Finding balance and harmony in life.
Swim to reach the end,
Working hard towards a goal.
But I am steady not to offend,
Trying to achieve my goal without upsetting anyone.
On whom can you depend?
Who can I rely on?
Swim to reach the end.
Working hard towards a goal.
Swim to reach the end
Working hard towards a goal.
Swim to reach the end
Working hard towards a goal.
Swim to reach the end
Working hard towards a goal.
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