Surf City first came in to existence when bored friends Davin Stoddard and Josh Kennedy met at a party in Mt Roskill in 2004.
Tired of the heavy avant-garde music that was prolific at the time Stoddard and Kennedy teamed up with Josh’s brother Jamie and Logan Collins to form the band.
Originally called The Fibs and then Kill Surf City their fascination with fast guitar pop and the early 80’s sound of Dunedin soon saw them develop their own unique and catchy sound.
Known as Kill Surf City for 3 years they recently shortened their name to just Surf City. As the name is a throw back to an old Jesus and Mary Chain B-side a couple of other bands in America and the UK had adopted the same alias. With the likelihood of overseas travel in the future and to avoid subsequent confusion the name was changed.
Following a couple of tours of New Zealand, numerous day jobs and several flat evictions, Surf City released their debut self titled EP on Arch Hill Recordings in 2007. The majority of the six song EP was recorded in 2006 in various lounges and bedrooms around Auckland. Some in Eden Terrace and Kingsland and most of the vocals at Davin’s mum’s place.
After the mixes were finalised by Murray Fisher, Davin hunted out infamous American artist Steve Keene to produce the EP’s artwork. Keene has created paintings for bands like the Silver Jews and Pavement and was more than happy to design for Surf City. With the direction of ‘chickens, guns and the desert’, Keene has created a perfectly colourful haphazard scene.
Between all this touring the band came up trumps with an excellent longplayer in 2010 called Kudos. The album was recorded mostly in bedrooms, basements and occasionally the old Arch Hill studios. Mostly it was recorded and mixed by themselves.
They then went on to release We Knew It Was Not Going To Be Like This in 2013 and Jekyll Island in 2015.
“It seems like decades since any New Zealand band has managed to evoke The same feeling that The Clean and Straightjacket Fits did. Mix that with how you feel about Interpol and maybe Sonic Youth and you have a fair idea.” – Pavement
“Their live shows fluctuate from raucously fun to fantastically loose. That genuine vulnerability and intensity is what makes them engaging not to mention entertaining.” – Rip It Up
Surf City are:
Logan Collins (drums)
Josh Kennedy (guitar)
Davin Stoddard (guitar, vocals)
Jamie Kennedy (bass, vocals)
