‘Surfgazing’ is a reverb-drenched ode to afternoons spent sun-kissed and wave-side, to letting the wind take your hand as it dangles out the car window along the highway and to '60s beach parties and the dance crazes that accompanied them.
After three sun-soaked singles released over the unique year that was 2020 - 'Wild Bikini', 'Coochiemudlo' and 'Oysters Can Dream' - the full length album is brimming with chiming guitars, ear-worm guitar hooks, shimmering cymbals, thunderous toms, driving bass-lines and dreamy call and response vocals.
The surfgaze sound encompasses the band’s love of pioneering shoegaze and post-punk artists such as Slowdive(band), Underground Lovers and The Go-Betweens with a splash of The B-52's for good measure, as well as the lush reverb-soaked hazy music of La Luz and The Shacks.
"There is a strong undercurrent of surf guitar on all our tracks," says Kristin Black (guitar, vocals). "But some answer the call of the waves more than others. 'Wild Bikini' harkens back to 1960s B-grade Beach Party movies and sitcoms, think Frankie and Annette meet 'I Dream of Jeannie' whereas 'Oysters Can Dream' swells in shoegaze trippiness."
The album features the tireless efforts of Pete Fergusson (guitar, vocals) who spent many hours on the DIY recordings, searching for that authentic '60s surf sound by employing multiple reverb effects and spending many nights in the company of The Atlantics, The Shadows and Man... Or Astro-Man?
The drums and additional vocals were recorded at Music Industry College with mastering done by Kieran Fergusson (Colu, Riverine). After a long search he obtained the perfect acoustics in his parents’ tool shed.
Listen to 4ZZZ's Album of the week on 4ZZZ, 102.1FM, ZED Digital and streaming live on 4zzz.org.au
Catch their live set on 4ZZZ Exit Stage Zed on November 28 in studio! 4zzz.org.au/program/exit-stage-zed