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Surf Curse
Surf Curse in December 2022
Background information
Origin	Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Genres	Indie surf surf punk indie rock post-punk garage rock
Years active	2012 (2012)–present
Labels	Danger Collective Big Joy Atlantic
Members	Jacob Rubeck Nick Rattigan Noah Kohll Henry Dillon
Website	surfcurse.com

Surf Curse is an American indie surf rock band formed in 2012 in Reno, Nevada, and now based in Los Angeles. The band was formed by Nick Rattigan (lead vocals and drums) and Jacob Rubeck (guitars), and now also includes Henry Dillon and Noah Kholl. The band achieved mainstream success after their song "Freaks", written in 2011 and released in 2013, became popular on the short-form video platform TikTok in 2020. In 2024, their 2019 song "Disco" would also go viral on TikTok, topping the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart in September 2024.

History

Surf Curse was formed in 2012 by Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck in Reno, Nevada, under several other names including "Buffalo 66" in reference to the film of the same name. The band soon moved to Los Angeles, where they played at The Smell, a club that welcomed bands with similar sounds to that of Surf Curse's punk-surf rock. There, they became a part of the local all-ages punk scene. Rattigan continued working on his solo project, performing as Current Joys. Also in 2013, the band independently released the EP Sad Boys and their debut album Buds. The latter featured the song "Freaks", written in 2011 when Rattigan and Rubeck were both aged 18.

The band established a growing Los Angeles fanbase, allowing them to play at the October 2016 Beach Goth Festival before an audience that included non-local attendees. Their second album, Nothing Yet, was released in January 2017 through Danger Collective. Rattigan and Rubeck described Nothing Yet as reflecting their lifelong influence by movies, saying that the song "The Strange and the Kind" could fit on the soundtrack of a modern Dazed and Confused. The band remained somewhat successful, albeit underground, through the 2019 release of their third album, Heaven Surrounds You. This third album was praised for Rattigan's vocals and its lead track "Disco", with its fast pace compared favorably to Vampire Weekend's debut, but criticized for reliance on clichés within its lyrics. The lyrics of the album's final song "Jamie" and its repeated line of "I love the people in my life, all my friends keep me alive" have been identified as particularly moving.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns in 2020, Surf Curse were unable to continue performing live. However, in 2020, the song "Freaks" began drawing attention on the short-form video platform TikTok. The song's angsty lyrics, particularly "I am just a freak", made it compatible with TikTok meme formats that played it in the background. "Freaks" has been described as a "soundtrack whatever you're cringing about", though its second life on TikTok has been distinguished from other songs that saw a resurgence on the app. Generally, songs that received renewed interest through TikTok had been recently featured in movies of television shows, unlike the relative obscurity that "Freaks" had enjoyed. Rattigan said he would have also been happy with the song gaining traction had it been featured on the soundtrack to the then-upcoming film Avatar: The Way of Water; Rubeck joked that the unusual variety of videos featuring the song—including gardening tutorials and thirst traps—meant they "had to just stop watching them". The two said that they neither understood nor used TikTok.

The popularity of "Freaks" came almost simultaneously with accusations that Rattigan and Rubeck engaged in sexual misconduct with fans. Danger Collective severed ties with Surf Curse at the time of the allegations. An anonymous allegation against Rubeck was retracted and two against Rattigan were similarly deleted; both band members denied the allegations. In August 2020, Rubeck stated: "There hasn't been a moment in my life that even comes close to what was described in that post." The allegations were made around the same time that Burger Records, which had organized the 2016 Goth Beach Festival, folded during a wave of similar allegations in the Southern California punk scene.

After being rereleased as a single in May 2021 following the band signing with Atlantic Records, "Freaks" reached number 64 on the UK Singles Chart and number 17 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, eight years after it first appeared on Buds. The song is RIAA certified Platinum and, as of April 2024, has more than 1 billion streams. Billboard recognized Surf Curse as the second-ranked artists of 2021 in their category New Rock Artists.

Following their signing to Atlantic Records, Surf Curse added bassist Henry Dillon and guitarist Noah Kholl to their lineup. Dillon and Kholl had toured with the band before the pandemic; Rattigan said of adding them: "I think the sort of the connection that me and Jacob felt with each other when we started the band, we also felt with Noah and Henry." As a now four-member band, Surf Curse released Magic Hour in 2022. As with their other album covers that featured the band members, all four are featured on the cover art of the album. The album's release had been preceded by the band performing at Coachella in Wizard of Oz–themed attire and the launch of the album's lead single "Sugar". The band began their North America tour for Magic Hour with a concert in Las Vegas on October 30, 2022, where each band member was dressed as a different iteration of Elvis Presley. Magic Hour was received positively by critics, who identified its lyrics as more creative and a positive evolution of the band's sound and talent.

Similar to "Freaks" virality on TikTok, a new TikTok trend emerged using the band's 2019 single "Disco" in 2024 where two people would dance to the song leaning back and forth to each other along the beat. This trend led the song to number one on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 and its debut at 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in September 2024.

Musical style

Surf Curse's music has been described as surf rock, lo-fi, garage pop, surf punk, post-punk, surf pop, indie rock, indie pop, and jangle pop. The band's live performances have been characterized as "bedlam" and "bonkers", with Rattigan saying that a particularly energetic set at Pappy & Harriet's resulted in the venue banning the band. Jaan Uhelszki, co-founder of Creem magazine, approvingly described Surf Curse as having a "party-tastic kind of music".

Members

• Jacob Rubeck – guitars, occasional lead vocals (2012-present)
• Nick Rattigan – lead vocals, drums, percussion (2012-present)
• Noah Kohll – guitars (2020-present)
• Henry Dillon – bass (2020-present)

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Notes

1. "Freaks" appeared on Buds in 2013, but was not released as a single until 2021.
2. "Freaks" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 17 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

References

1. "Episode 11: Surf Curse | All Independent Reno Podcast". allindependentreno.com. September 15, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
2. Smith, Sarah; Kiviat, Steve; Padua, Pat; Kennedy, Colleen; Goldstone, Simone (December 8, 2022). "Pierre Kwenders, Batman Returns, and More Best Bets for Dec. 8–14". Washington City Paper. Washington, D.C. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
3. ^ Sommerfield, Seth (November 10, 2022). "Surf Curse unexpectedly blew up on TikTok, but the band's sonic evolution suggests it's no flash in the pan". Inlander. Spokane, WA. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
4. Benitev-Eves, Tina (2021). "Surf Curse Continue Connecting to "Freaks" 10 Years Later". American Songwriter. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
5. "Surf Curse". Sacks and Co. 2022. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
6. ^ Chabrow, Shayna (February 7, 2017). "Surf Curse Run Through Life Dazed and Confused on "The Strange and the Kind"". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
7. ^ Brown, August (July 19, 2021). "These indie-rock lifers went from obscurity to scandal to a major-label deal in 10 months". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
8. ^ Dynes, Sam (October 2, 2019). "Album Review: Heaven Surrounds You by Surf Curse". The Mancunion. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
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13. ^ Wood, Landry (October 18, 2022). "Review: Surf Curse abrasively experiments with smoothness on 'Magic Hour'". The Rice Thresher. Houston, Texas. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
14. Mateos, Evelyn (November 2, 2022). "Surf Curse's Vegas Show Was All About Belonging, Costumes and Elvis". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
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20. Kohn, Stephanie; Milan, Cameron (January 29, 2017). "Vibe: Tired of the Top 40? Give these bands a listen". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
21. Ainsley, Helen (May 11, 2021). "Coldplay's Higher Power rockets to Trending Chart top spot". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
22. Quinlan, Keely (June 12, 2019). "Surf Curse – "Disco" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
23. King, Matt (April 5, 2022). "Viral Upward Spiral: Surf Curse Arrives at Coachella With TikTok Fame and an Intense Live Show". Coachella Valley Independent. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
24. Seaman, Britt (November 14, 2022). "Toner and Surf Curse Bring the Heat to Warehouse Live". Coog Radio. University of Houston. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
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27. "Surf Curse – Chart History: Hot Rock & Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
    • "Disco": "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Week of November 9, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
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35. "Surf Curse – Chart History: Billboard Global 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
    • "Disco": "Billboard Global 200: Week of September 21, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
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38. "Midnight Cowboy – Single by Surf Curse on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
39. "Hour of the Wolf – Single by Surf Curse on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
40. "Surf Curse – Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
    • "Disco": "Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart: September 14, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
41. "American certifications – Surf Curse". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
42. "British certifications – Surf Curse". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 20, 2024. Type Surf Curse in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
43. "Sugar – Single by Surf Curse on Spotify". Spotify. March 30, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.

• Surf Curse
• Atlantic Records artists
• Indie rock musical groups from Nevada
• Musical groups established in 2013
• Musical groups from Los Angeles
• Post-punk music groups
• American surf music groups
• 2013 establishments in Nevada