AFTER a frustrating spell at the major label Warner Brothers, Los Angeles surfer rockers Surfer Blood returned this year with 1000 Palms, a record which saw them ditch the big studios in favour of small practice spaces as the band strived to return to the DIY ethos that led to the gestation of their critically acclaimed debut album, Astro Coast, in 2010. Recording in places as makeshift as an attic studio above a doctor’s office, 1000 Palms had a liberating effect on the four piece that had seemed to have lost its way after a tumultuous few years.
Out of all the songs featured on the record, the one that struck as the most Astro Coast indebted was the sunkissed chords of ‘Island’ and now, just in time for the decent weather, the band have readied it as their latest single. The 80’s new wave indebted track sees the band oscillate between jangly surf guitar and heavy distortion in trademark Surfer Blood style.
Surfer Blood play a huge UK tour over September and October, and you can catch them in Glasgow at Broadcast on the 25th September. You can also check our review of 1000 Palms here.
