An Interview with Surfer Girl / “Sunrise” Album Review!
What a better way to start off the new year than covering one of the best albums of 2022! Surfer Girl dropped their debut album, “Sunrise”, back in September. It is an instant classic and exactly what the Reggae Rock community needed! A few months back, I had the honor of interviewing frontman Carter Reeves and hear his take on the debut album. Check out the interview below!
Dan: Where did the album title “Sunrise” come from? What does this album mean to you?
Carter: “Sunrise,” while being an incredibly cliche and expected name, wound up having a lot of weight for this project. I feel as though the era of Surfer Girl is just beginning, the sunrise if I may. People have been asleep to this project, and to the music we’ve been making – so hey, it’s time to wake them up! Naturally, the warm, sunny music we make feels synonymous with the feeling of a sunrise. We are so proud of this album, but it is truly just the first step in a long day of Surfer Girl.
Dan: How long was this album in the making for you?
Carter: The album was realistically a 2 year process. After the EP was finished and slated for release, we hopped right onto the next album. A few songs trickled in here and there, Pass the Torch being the oldest of the bunch. With tours, side hustles, and collaborations getting the way of the finishing process, it took a minute to close everything out. Of course getting ahold of all of the beautiful feature artists on the album is a challenge, but a worthwhile one. So finally in November 2021, we had all the pieces of the puzzle in place, and went to Oakland to run the album through the ultimate filter, collaborator, finisher, and producer; Johnny Cosmic.
Dan: Are they any tracks that hold a special meaning to you?
Carter: All It Takes definitely holds some weight for me. I wrote this amidst a bit of a spat with a friend who held the flat out opposite beliefs as me. After a few weeks of pettiness, we both realized we were being silly, and reconciled over a beer and a laugh. That was a huge moment for me. In a divisive time in the country and the world, we need to remember the things that we have in common, that unite us. The labels, dividing lines, categories, classes, etc. are genuinely just artificial boundaries created to keep us in conflict and distracted from our unity. Ha – deep shit.
Dan: How did you go about choosing the bands and artists that you have featured on the album?
Carter: It was all a natural choice! The Elovaters were a no brainer due to Jacksons buttery vocals and our friendship. The Hip Abduction came after David New popped up to a show of ours in Asheville, NC. He said he loved the song “Two” and was hoping to give it a stab. Little Stranger is a group that I have admired for a while due to their progressive and fringe style of music. Knew we needed to solidify a rad record together! I also love that it’s a bit of a softer song for the both of us. Shwayze was someone who I have always looked up to, and grew up listening to, so when given the opportunity to get him on the record – it was a dream come true. The Skints have been a long time favorite of mine, they put on such a killer show – and oddly enough, Marcia and I have a mutual friend and we’ve spent a bunch of time in Brooklyn together, so it only felt right to holler! Abhi the Nomad and I have been friends for a while, sharing records back and forth – and I also love his fringe hip hop/pop style. Same with Khary! Such an incredible MC and a rad dude – knew I wanted to get him involved in some capacity.
Dan: The album was released through Ineffable Records. How did the relationship between you and the label come to be? How instrumental was the label in assisting with this process?
Carter: We were intro’d a few years back via our mutual friend Joey Papoutsis, the manager for Louis the Child. Funny enough, I had met Thomas and Adam (Ineffable) through the Aer days years prior. The chemistry was immediate, and they hopped on board the project. They’ve been incredibly crucial in the release process, as they tackle the general strategy, gaining editorial looks, promotion within and outside of their network, and so on.
Dan: You have released a ton of music over the years through your multiple music endeavors. How does Surfergirl, and the new album, compare to when you were releasing through other projects? Do you find yourself having to go to a different headspace when creating Surfergirl music compared to your other music?
Carter: Yeah! Aer was a funny story, as we were just two high schoolers who fell into viral success. We worked hard, but it came easily! The next few years were a reality check as I struggled to get a solo project “Carter Reeves” off the ground. I released a ton of great music, but not much of it stuck. It was a hugely important learning process. When creating the Surfer Girl project, I knew I wanted to put together a band. As a three piece, we now have found a hybrid way to work together. I write and produce demos and bring them to the band, and the decision is made to either add drums + bass, or just let them rock as is. I feel complete creative freedom within this project. The ability to toe the line in a traditional American Reggae sense, while pushing the genre, and diving into much more pop focused, surf rock leaning, and hip hop directions. It feels great to have carte blanche.
Dan: Do you have a spot or place to go to that helps you write music and find inspiration?
Carter: Anywhere quiet. Haha. I need to prioritize turning off and tuning out more often. I’ve been up at 5:30 most mornings, because it’s the most quiet time of the day. I sit, without screens, without noise, and just revel in the silence. That helps me to clear my mind and organize it for a long day ahead. Besides that, I often feel like juices are flowing when I’m in the water. Whether out for a surf or just swimming around, I find that silence, that peace that lets my mind wander to uncharted places.
Dan: With the release of this album, what is next for Surfergirl? When can we expect some more east coast shows?!
Carter: We’ve got a whole slew of good ish going on! We’re hitting the road with Hirie and Ballyhoo on October 5th! Playing shows nationwide, and absolutely hitting the East coast. We’ve got another two shows before the end of the year up here on the East coast, and hoping to line up a strong 2023 for touring. With some unannounced festivals, RRU Vegas, and some exciting co-writes and collaborations in the pipeline, it’s safe to say “Sunrise” is only the beginning.
Check out songs from “Sunrise” on our Spotify playlist! Read on for the review of “Sunrise”!
As I stated in the beginning of this article, “Sunrise” is one of the best albums that dropped in 2022. It is a perfect 13 track representation of the diversity that comes with the American Reggae Rock scene. Surfer Girl is the band that everyone should be taking notes from right now!
“Sunrise” kicks off with the album titled track, “Sunrise (with The Elovaters)“. I am in love with this being the lead song. The calm, relaxing strum of the guitar matched with Carter’s vocals brings a feeling of peace and serenity instantly. If the instrumentals don’t get you, you’ll instantly be able to vibe to the lyrics. “Smoking in the morning, blazing like the sunrise, smoking in the morning, with you.” Who doesn’t want to start their day that way?! With the addition of Jackson Wetherbee’s soulful voice, this song is a fan favorite!
Surfer Girl picks up the pace with the next two tracks, “Five Temptations” and “Doghouse (with Shwayze)”. “Five Temptations” is the perfect song to follow up with. The drum beat is infectious and gets your body rocking the second they kick in. I can picture the crowd singing along to every word on this track! “But I’ve got five temptations that always test my patience, but high vibrations stay up on rotation. So turn that record up real loud, ’cause our paradise is here and now”. “Doghouse (with Shwayze)” comes up next, one of the top tracks on the album. This song right here gets the party started! It is the perfect addition to a Summer party, BBQ, car ride, smoke session, you name it! Carter amplifies his vocals and lets his Hip Hop roots shine throughout the song. Between Carter and Shwayze, the flow on this track is unmatchable!
Surfer Girl slows it back down with the following two tracks, “Two (with the Hip Abduction)” and “Evil“. I can’t say it enough; the track placement on this album is phenomenal. The entire album keeps a perfect pace and has you begging for more music. “Two” does exactly that! This song is arguably the most popular on the album with over 1 million streams! It follows a much more Reggae style compared to the previous songs on the album. This is the song you are going to want to roll one up, sit back and let the stress flow away. Even better if you smoke with the one you love! “No matter how far you go, I’mma still roll enough for two. And even if I run low, I’mma still roll enough for you“. How can we say no to that?! “Sunrise” rolls on with “Evil“. I love the theme that Surfer Girl goes with in this track. We may have made decisions in our past that we regret, or have some type of “evil” that we may be trying to run from. Surfer Girl is here to say it happens to the best of us, it just matters how you handle it! “Evil walks my way sometimes, but I’ve seen where it’s coming from, so I give it hell and let it run. Even if I press rewind, I can’t fix everything I’ve done, So I might as well be giving love”.
Up next is “The Search (with The Skints)“. This is one of my favorite songs on the album. Carter’s vocals are absolutely phenomenal. I imagine listening to this song in a smoke filled room, the soothing guitar and catchy drum sounds filling the space, completely immersing you in the music. The way Carter and Marcia’s vocals blend together is beautiful.
You’ve now made it through “Side A” of “Sunrise“. Six songs in and Surfer Girl is showing no signs of letting up! “Side B” starts off with “There For You (with Khary)“. This is one of the more fun songs on the album because it lets the band explore more Hip Hop elements. To start off, the instrumental is a banger itself. You can’t help letting loose and rocking along. Carter is able to show off his rhyme skills, implementing more of a rap style with his vocals. What really stood out to me is Khary’s feature. His raw rap flow is a refreshing change of pace. Surfer Girl pushes on with “Gasoline“. It slows the pace down while still holding onto the hip hop elements of the previous track with the slow, steady beat that will keep your head nodding.
Up next is another favorite of mine, “Cross That Bridge“. This is the song to get your day and/or party started! It is the perfect mix of Reggae Rock and Hip Hop that I know every fan won’t be able to get enough of. I am genuinely shocked to see it has one of the lowest streams on the album; let’s run that shit up!!!
“Lifestyle (with Abhi The Nomad)” is another perfect example of Carter’s expertise on the mic. The flow of the bars he is spitting is dope. Fans all around are going to learn every single word so they can rock along with the band every chance they get!
Surfer Girl ends the album with “Night Off“, “Pass The Torch” and “All It Takes (with Little Stranger)“. “Night Off” was a great choice of song to include after the more Hip Hop oriented songs. The bands takes us back to their Reggae roots, creating a song you can feel in your soul. “Night Off” is a feel good song that you can’t help but enjoy. “Pass The Torch” follows up, a fun song that pays homage to future generations. “I wanna tell the kids, your youth is a gift, don’t let the moment slip by. I’ve learned to call it like it is, ’cause I’ve been on the wave so long I’m getting sunburnt”. Take it from Surfer Girl, don’t let those moments pass you by. Take advantage of every opportunity given to you! Surfer Girl finishes off with “All It Takes (with Little Stranger)” and it is by far my favorite song on the album. The opening line of this song is something every single person can relate to, and certainly something most need to hear. “Maybe all it takes, maybe all it takes is time. To forgive, forget and make. Forgive, forget and make things right.” Majority of our problems can be solved by taking time instead of instant reactions.
“Sunrise” by Surfer Girl is one of the best albums of 2022. It is 13 tracks of pure excellence and should NOT be slept on! Be sure to follow Surfer Girl on all socials and check out some songs from “Sunrise” on our Spotify playlist!