A fulsome / emptied fierce panda one sheet

The Act: SURFER BLOOD

The Release: 'FEAST-FAMINE' / 'NW PASSAGE' (FAST VERSION)

The Formats: DIGITAL SINGLE

The Label: FIERCE PANDA

The Release Date: OCTOBER 2ND 2015

The Truth: Surfer Blood are from West Palm Beach, Florida. They consist of John Paul Pitts (vocals / guitar), Thomas Fekete (guitar / vocals), Kevin Williams (bass / vocals) and Tyler Schwarz (drums), although guitarist Thomas has been forced to take a backseat of late while he battles cancer.

'Feast-Famine' is the third single to be taken from the quartet's third album, '1000 Palms', which appeared on fierce panda earlier this year, and is released on October 2nd to coincide with their first European live dates since 2013, rather like this:

SEP 19 ANTWERP Trix
SEP 20 TILBURG, Incubate Festival
SEP 21 COLOGNE Blue Shell
SEP 22 PARIS Espace B
SEP 24 BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds
SEP 25 GLASGOW Broadcast
SEP 26 HULL Adelphi
SEP 27 NEWCASTLE The Cluny
SEP 28 NORWICH Arts Centre
SEP 30 LONDON TUFNELL PARK Dome
OCT 01 MANCHESTER Deaf Institute
OCT 02 LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
OCT 03 SOUTHAMPTON Joiners Arms
OCT 04 BRISTOL Thekla
OCT 05 BRIGHTON The Hope & Ruin

If the very title of the 'Feast-Famine' song hints at a band tussling with inner demons then a quick look at Surfer Blood's recent bloodied history suggests that that may well be the case. You may recall that our indie troopers were quite the breakout band of 2009, when their ‘Astro Coast’ debut (on Kanine) was praised by Pitchfork and beyond. while touring with Pixies and playing every cool festival on the known planet only seemed to solidify Surfer Blood’s place in the hipster heartland.

Fate – as tends to be the case – had different ideas, however. A worldwide record deal with Warners promised much, not least recording sessions with Gil Norton for ‘Astro Coast’ follow-up ‘Pythons’, but Surfer Blood’s second album syndrome turned out to be a harrowing experience on and off stage, in many ways. Little wonder then that by the close of 2013 the quartet were beyond ready to return to a more DIY process, seeking refuge in the original Surfer Bloody-minded mentality to make '1000 Palms'.

And little wonder that while the videos for their recent singles may have depicted a jovial party vibe ('I Can't Explain') and fun times at the seaside ('Island') the brighest of Surfer Blood melodies are laced with bruised melancholy. Even during the jaunty Strokes-esque stompings of 'Feast-Famine' JP Potts is found wandering and wondering "Sometimes I feel out of touch / With who I am..." with deadpan panache. These reviews of '1000 Palms' here can feel that confusion...

"Couched in the language of Beach-Boy guitar riffs and the pot-smoking indolence of Best Coast, '1000 Palms' uses a bittersweet sunshine-infused sense of longing as the base to blend a multitude of shades of nostalgic yearning." - The Line Of Best Fit

"Freed from the constraints of a major label the band take advantage of their newfound autonomy to unpack some of the psychic trauma they've endured over the past few years...'1000 Palms' sounds like emotional throat-clearing, the transitional sound of a band finding their bearings, resetting their dials and getting back on their feet." - Pitchfork

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