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".
Voyager Reprise
Surfer Blood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leave it to me, up to me to feel sorry
I can't wrap my head around you
Somewhere out there four walls surround you
I can't go now 'cause I don't know how
Oh, oh oh
Making a soundtrack for another planet to hear
Oh a gold disk moves like a meteor shower
Thirty-five thousand miles an hour
Heaven is a strange place like outer space
You've got nothing, got nothing to hide
I've got a lot of things that I keep down inside
Oh but looking with you at the constellations
Even with my coating of insulation
I can't wait now, I don't even wanna know how
No, I can't say no
I won't say no
I can't say no
I can't let go
Oh no
Oh, oh oh
The song "Voyager" by Surfer Blood is a melancholy piece that encompasses the feeling of being trapped within oneself. The first stanza speaks of the singer's inability to leave their personal space and engaging in anything outside of their own thoughts. The line, "Leave it to me, up to me to feel sorry," shows that the singer is taking responsibility for their own feelings of sadness and is not looking for pity from others. The second line, "I can't wrap my head around you," shows the singer's struggle with understanding those around them. The line, "Somewhere out there four walls surround you," implies that there are others in similar situations to the singer, feeling trapped and alone. The repetition of the line, "I can't go now 'cause I don't know how," emphasizes the idea that the singer is stuck in their own head.
The second stanza takes a completely different turn with a reference to "Carl and Ann," who worked on creating a "gold disk" as a soundtrack for an extraterrestrial civilization. The idea of a "soundtrack for another planet to hear" ties in the theme of the song, of feeling disconnected from the world around us. The line, "Heaven is a strange place like outer space," is open to interpretation but could convey a sense that the unknown is both beautiful and terrifying. The final stanza is almost a plea, with the singer admitting that they have "a lot of things that I keep down inside," but finding solace in sharing the experience with someone else. The line, "Even with my coating of insulation," shows that despite the singer's perceived isolation, they still want to connect with others. The repetition of "I can't say no" and "I can't let go" adds to the overall sense of helplessness and feeling trapped.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't go out 'cause I'm sick with myself
I don't feel comfortable going out in public because I'm not pleased with the person that I am.
Leave it to me, up to me to feel sorry
I am the one responsible for feeling regret.
I can't wrap my head around you
You are hard for me to comprehend and understand.
Somewhere out there four walls surround you
You are confined or restricted within four walls or boundaries.
I can't go now 'cause I don't know how
I am hesitant to take action or move forward because I am unsure of how to do so.
Oh Carl and Ann had a love affair
Carl and Ann were once involved in a romantic relationship.
Making a soundtrack for another planet to hear
They created music that was intended to be heard by extraterrestrial life forms.
Oh a gold disk moves like a meteor shower
A golden record travels rapidly through space like a meteor shower.
Thirty-five thousand miles an hour
The record is traveling at an incredible speed of 35,000 miles per hour.
Heaven is a strange place like outer space
The concept of heaven is unusual and surreal, just like outer space.
You've got nothing, got nothing to hide
You are completely open and honest about everything, and have nothing to conceal.
I've got a lot of things that I keep down inside
There are a lot of emotions and thoughts that I suppress and do not share with others.
Oh but looking with you at the constellations
When I am with you, staring at the stars and galaxies in the sky is a delightful experience.
Even with my coating of insulation
Despite my emotional armor or protective layer of detachment, I still enjoy it.
I can't wait now, I don't even wanna know how
I am too excited to wait, and I don't want to think about it too much or plan it out ahead of time.
No, I can't say no
I cannot bring myself to refuse or decline.
I won't say no
I am determined and committed to not saying no no matter what.
I can't say no
It is impossible for me to say no.
I can't let go
I am holding on to something or someone and cannot seem to release my grip.
Oh no
Expressing surprise or concern.
Oh, oh oh
Expressing excitement or enthusiasm.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PAUL PITTS, KEVIN ROBERT WILLIAMS, THOMAS JOHN FEKETE, TYLER JERRY SCHWARZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luke
Surfer Blood really got me through some tough and confusing times. Thank you guys. I owe you the world and more.
RoboKorean
larrybob141 I second that. Lots of drifting thoughts...
TyroneAlwaysWins
I remember showing this song to a girl in high school and she said "i don't like it, it's too slow", i stopped talking to her.
HeyNeme
THIS is my FAVORITE surfer blood song EVER! (I'm not ready is the second and Fast Jabroni comes in third!)
Juke Jam
This was a faint background song in Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and my hears lit up. I am so happy I decided to study and stumble upon this song.
Louis-E. Pothier
Such a great song, the 3 first songs od the EP are a perfect mashup!
Blades Toe
i cant hear it, but this is a well constructed song
dan k
omfg i was trying to remember how the office theme song sounded like before it got to :55 but i couldnt and then it went on and i was like omg thats it!
solsrfr b
Morrissey playing with weezer and vampire weekend. sweet
solsrfr b
Is it just me or does he sound a bit like Morrissey on parts of this album?