|
INTERVIEW WITH THE
NEW SURFSIDERS
|
NOTE: Anyone
who reads the reviews on this site
knows that I have a strange,
unnatural affinity for The
Surfsiders, the early 60's anonymous
cover band whose album, The
Surfsiders Sing The Beach Boys
Songbook, is one of the great
BAD albums of all time, due to it's
ham-fisted doo-wop arrangements,
full-throated singing, and
barbershop-by-way-of-frat-house
mentality which truly sets it apart
from other, similar albums. So
- when I heard news of a group
calling themselves THE NEW
SURFSIDERS - I just had to hear
them. Thanks to a couple of
YouTube clips, I discovered that yes
- the group was real, and yes, they
had released several 45-RPM singles
on New York-based label Norton
Records. The sound,
execution, and attitude of The New
Surfsiders so closely matches that
found on the original 60s band that
I HAD TO KNOW - Who are they?
What are they? and probably
most important - Why -- WHY, DEAR
GOD are they? So here, for the
first time anywhere, is the
first, the only interview with that
mysterious, mesmerizing group: THE
NEW SURFSIDERS!!! (Click on
the album covers to go to Norton
Records to purchase these
one-of-a-kind records - perfect for
bar mitzvah's and other gift-giving
events.)
 First of all, the
name: "The New Surfsiders" — any
relationship at all to the original,
or "classic" Surfsiders? Or
would you call this a "spiritual
continuation" of the band's legacy?
You mean, like are we the sons of the
original Surfsiders? We wish! If we
were, just imagine! We would all get
together and form a Super Surfsiders
Family Supergroup! And then we'd get The
Beach Boys to be our opening band on our
worldwide tour! But they wouldn't be
allowed to cover any songs that we do.
Not that we'd care, but our fans
wouldn't like it if The Beach Boys
stepped on our toes, and people like to
go to concerts for music, not riots.
How did The New Surfsiders come to
be? What specific talents does
each member bring to the band?
And, like Dennis Wilson in The Beach
Boys, does The New Surfsiders have a
"sex symbol" within the group?
Just one listen to "The Surfsiders Sing
the Beach Boys Songbook" inspires action
in just about anyone who hears it. The
action it happened to inspire in us is
to carry on that group's legacy as only
we can. As for who's the sex symbol in
The New Surfsiders, don't misunderstand
— we get our share of catcalls and
whistles from the ladies, believe you
me. But that's just a sidelight as to
why we make the music we make. We're
recording artistes first and foremost.
We're content to leave all that pop idol
stuff to the teenybopper bands like One
Direction and The Newbeats.
How does the group deal with the
pressures of living up to the awesome
legacy of the Surfsiders?
It's a burdensome weight that each of us
has to lug around 24 hours a day.
Between countless hours of rehearsal and
a grueling tour schedule, it's a
gauntlet with no relief in sight. We
eat, drink and think New Surfsiders
because at this point we don't know how
to exist any other way.
I consider both the "classic"
Surfsiders and The New Surfsiders to
have a punchy, raw rock 'n'  roll sound.
How would you describe The New
Surfsiders sound to those hearing you
for the first time? And how do
you achieve that defiant
"in-your-face" ambiance in the studio?
We tell people that if they like good
music, they like the New Surfsiders.
Sure, it's rock and roll, but it's so
much more than that. We look around and
there are honestly no groups doing what
we do, and not doing it nearly as well
as we do. As for getting "that" sound,
we don't use any studio trickery. It's
just a question of capturing on tape
what we sound like on stage. We wouldn't
even know where to begin to manufacture
our sound.
Besides (obviously) The Beach Boys,
what do you consider The New
Surfsiders main musical
influences? What's on your
turntables right now?
The
Surfsiders.
The Surfsiders LP.
You've daringly decided to cover some
post-1965 songs from the Beach Boys
songbook, including Dennis's "Never
Learn Not To Love" and Brian's "'Til I
Die" — do you consider this a new
direction for The New
Surfsiders? A darker, moodier
direction?
When we met with the folks at Norton
Records, we debated this for a while. We
all knew it would be a good musical
choice, but we were a little afraid of
alienating our fans. At the end of the
day, we prayed on it for a while and
decided that we would let the public
vote with their pocketbooks. And we're
happy to report that these records have
been selling just about as well as the
earlier ones!
How challenging was it to adapt the
lengthy, complex SMiLE album into your
2-1/2 minute poptastic single medley?
We look at it like we're telling a story
— you want a clear plot, well-defined
characters and a dramatic curve. That's
how we approached SMiLE. We wanted to
make it accessible to the average
person, while retaining the nuance of
the original. I daresay we hit it out of
the park.
 Would you be
willing to reveal the
behind-the-scenes battles for the song
choices which made the final cut?
A phalanx of focus groups, girlfriends,
our parents and an invisible genie that
only we can see named Officer Wells are
responsible for choosing our final song
selections. (Okay, part of that answer
is obviously a joke. We don't have
girlfriends.) But ultimately the
decision rests on us. The thing is, we
rarely disagree on our song selections
or our musical choices when it's time to
make the music happen. The harmony is
not just on our records; it can be found
within our group as well. It's as if
we're a bunch of guys with just one
brain.
The gutsy choice of releasing your
singles in MONO sound, and in the 45
single format — no concession to
modern digital technology?
Discuss:
I thought they were in stereo. They're
not?
Do you take requests for future
projects? Filmmaker and
Surfsiders fan Steve L. would
love for you to cover "Everyone's In
Love With You."
Possibility? And any chance for
an entire LP's worth of New Surfsiders
material? Maybe some covers from
the Beach Boys most recent
album? (I know I would be first
in line to purchase!)
We are happy to report that the fine
folks at Norton Records are going to
release a new New Surfsiders single in
time for the holiday buying season. We
don't want to spoil it, but we can tell
you that it will be one song recorded
live on stage at a personal appearance,
plus one song recorded at an impromptu
New Surfsiders party where we sat around
with friends playing some of our
favorite songs on whatever instruments
were lying around. Look for it in late
November!
And finally, there are always
unenlightened detractors out there —
how do you answer your critics who say
you shouldn't (I quote the
immortal Mike Love) "f*** with the
formula?"
We'd like to think that Mike Love,
despite his potty mouth, would make a
pretty good New Surfsider. However, as
he had admitted to having difficulty
with Brian Wilson's more challenging
musical arrangements, he might have even
more trouble with the vocal and
instrumental complexities we introduce
into the Beach Boys catalog.
Final thoughts?
As a great man who inspired the great
men who inspired us to become the great
men we are once said, "Loosen up! Be
Happy! BE HAPPY!"
|
|
