Chen Xuan

    xuanxuanloveusa@126.com

    SURFER Blood, an indie rock and surfer band from Florida, is on tour in China and they will be playing at B10 Live in Shenzhen’s OCT-LOFT area on Friday.

    The four original members John Paul Pitts (guitar/lead vocals), Tyler Schwarz (drums), Thomas Fekete (guitar) and Brain Black (bass) came together with a passion for music. Fekete passed away in May, and the current lineup includes Pitts and Schwarz with new band mates Mike McLeay (guitar/backing vocals) and Lindsey Mills (bass guitar/backing vocals).

    After releasing the single “Swim” and performing at the CMJ Music Marathon, Surfer Blood became a big hit. In an interview with Shenzhen Daily, Pitts talked about his music and how the band chose the city of Shenzhen for their tour.

    Why do you use the current name Surfer Blood instead of the old band name, Jabroni Sandwich?

    Pitts: The name Jabroni Sandwich was just a placeholder; we started playing under that name because we couldn’t think of anything better. We weren’t a very serious band at first. We would play at a friend’s party or something but weren’t that ambitious. Later we met Thomas Fekete, who was enthusiastic about our music from the first time he heard it. He was the one who pushed us to share our music with more people and think of a slightly less stupid name. We started to book our shows under the name Surfer Blood and toured further and further from home.

    The name Surfer Blood came during a road trip. Tyler had a very “surfer” backpack and shirt, and I was teasing him. He responded by saying, “You wouldn’t understand. It’s something in my blood: I have surfer’s blood,” and the moment he said it we knew it would be the perfect band name.

    How would you describe the kind of music you make? What’s the genre of your recent album “1000 Palms?”

    Pitts: I always describe it as The Beach Boys meet Pavement. I’ve always been a fan of ’90s college radio rock. I got into it when I was very young; right around the time I first started playing guitar. I emulated the styles of guitarists such as Thurston Moore and Jay Mascis, both of whom I’ve been fortunate enough to meet during my time in Surfer Blood. At the same time, I’ve always had a soft spot for the melodies and harmonies of [The Beach Boys front man] Brian Wilson, and when I started Surfer Blood, it was my goal to unite these two different genres. “1000 Palms” is a continuation of this theme. It explores some of the more emotional and more abstract elements of our style and is our most varied and dynamic record yet.

    What brings you to SZ?

    Pitts: We are happy to see all of the different parts of China, from south to north. We have never been to this part of Asia and are excited for so many new experiences. We heard that Shenzhen had many amazing parks, from Happy Valley to Splendid China, and we are going to see as many as we can.

    How do you feel about your China tour and the reactions from Chinese fans?

    Pitts: I’m afraid I don’t know yet, because we just got to Guangzhou after a 15-hour flight. We haven’t done anything besides sleep and drink milk tea. Hopefully they will like us very much.

    What’s the next step in your music career?

    Pitts: We have been working on a new album at home. We have 10 new songs, and it is our most epic album yet. All of the songs are long and have multiple “scenes.” It’s like a rock opera. I was listening to a lot of Prince and The Who’s Tommy [songs] while I was writing it. A lot of the melodies are inspired by some of the darker moments in Cream’s “Disraeli Gears,” and it is probably our most psychedelic album so far. I am so proud and can’t wait for the world to hear it!

    What are your other interests besides music? Surfing? And, do your interests influence your music?

    Pitts: Some of us are into surfing. Michael and Tyler have been surfing for decades and it has definitely worked its way into our music. Other than that, we are all fans of traveling, the outdoors, and watching movies and television. I would say they all have played some part in our songwriting over the years. For example, I thought of the name of our latest record “1000 Palms” while on a hiking trip in Joshua Tree, California. We came to an oasis called 29 Palms in the desert, where all of these giant palm trees were growing out of this crack in the earth. There was nothing but sand around for miles, but this one little patch of land was green and overgrown with plants. I thought it was so beautiful that we ended up naming our record after it.

    Surfer Blood’s show will take place at 8:30 p.m. July 8 at B10 Live. Tickets are 120 yuan at the door. Each ticket comes with a free Tiger beer.