“Iwas dripping sweat today,” laughs Surfer Blood frontman John Paul Pitts, or JP for short. “Releasing a new album is always very nerve-racking for us. I get butterflies and sometimes I forget to breathe, then my voice breaks like a teenager.”
1000 Palms,Surfer Blood’s third LP, dropped earlier this month – and for Pitts it wasn’t a moment too soon. “For me, this is a very personal record. We made it over the course of a few months and have been waiting very patiently for it to come out. I guess we felt like we had something to prove.”
After a disappointing experience with Warner Bros. Records during the making of 2013’s Pythons, it seemed like the only way forward for Surfer Blood was to go back to their roots and lose themselves in the DIY ethos they’d adopted back when they were first starting
out.
“Making a record is not some big secret that only special or elite people know how to do,” says Pitts. “For us it’s always been a matter of trial and error – figuring out what works by experimenting. The four of us spent a lot of time goofing off or just sitting around riffing on an idea. The trick is to record everything and always be nice to people, because you never know when you might need to call in a favour.”
Pitts recalls relying on the kindness of friends and family during the making of 1000 Palms. “We recorded most of this album in an attic that was on top of a doctor’s studio and we also took over our drummer Tyler [Schwarz]’s parents’ house while they were out of town. We felt totally in control, but at the same time we felt really free.”
Lead single ‘I Can’t Explain’ showcases Surfer Blood’s adventurous side and comes coupled with a quirky video clip filmed at a nightclub in their hometown of West Palm Beach on the US East Coast.
“We shot the clip at a nightclub in Florida that we’ve all been going to since we were kids. Since we were too young to get in there, we were very sneaky – we were bad kids, we should not have been doing that. But all these years later, I think we’re doing OK.
“Anyway, we were so happy that a lot of our friends showed up and dressed the part. We ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, but it was so much fun and we’re exceedingly grateful to everyone who helped us out with the making of it.”
Conspicuously absent from the clip is lead guitarist Thomas Fekete. He’s been part of Surfer Blood from the beginning, and while he appears on 1000 Palms, after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer (sarcoma) a few months ago, in recent weeks he was told that it had spread to his lungs and spine, leaving him unfit to tour or promote the album. Unable to make a living and with medical bills piling up, Fekete and Surfer Blood have turned to crowdfunding website GoFundMe for help.
“Unfortunately Thomas’ condition has become more complicated now, so we had to do something,” Pitts explains. “People have been so generous and super helpful. We put on a benefit show in New York City recently and all the bands played for free – everyone has been unbelievable.”
Surfer Blood’s1000 Palms is out now through Joyful Noise/Spunk.
