Members of the band Surfer Blood all grew up and went to high school in the South Florida area near Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman opened fire on February 14, 2018, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others. Frontman John Paul Pitts had just moved back home to the area shortly before the event happened. Today, they share the single “Parkland (Into The Silence)”, a tribute to the survivors of the Parkland tragedy. Pitts explains what inspired him to write the song in a press release:
On February 14, 2018 I was running on the treadmill at the gym with cable news running in the background. I had just moved back to Florida and was desperately looking for a reason to feel good about it.
That was when I saw the news. There had been a shooting at a high school forty minutes south of my hometown. My heart ached for the victims and their families, but like so many Americans, I've become resigned to this particular kind of tragedy. I'm not proud of my cynicism, but it’s a callousness you develop when you live in a country where this is a weekly event.
In the days and weeks that followed, I watched the events closely. These high school kids were tearing up routine talking points we've heard a thousand times, refusing to be helpless, refusing to succumb to despair. In those moments I was so proud to be from this place. Even though we haven't seen any meaningful legislation, these students were able to move the conversation into new territory. I never thought I'd see people wake up to the epidemic of gun violence in the US, but it feels like its on the tip of everyone's tongue, and so much of that awareness is due to the resilience and optimism of these young Floridians.
This song is a testament to their courage. They are truly inspiring and living proof that anything can be overcome.
“Parkland (Into The Silence)” will appear on the band's fifth full-length Carefree Theatre, out May 1st via Kanine Records. Check out the track via a lyric video below. The band will perform at the Fisherman's Village Music Festival in Everett, WA on May 15th, as well as a May 14th show at Alma Mater in Tacoma, WA.
Tour Dates:
03.06.20 - Jupiter, FL @ Guanabanas
03.13.20 - Cleveland, MS @ Hey Joe's
03.14.20 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Mid City Ballroom
03.16-20.20 - Austin TX @ SXSW
03.21.20 - Dallas, TX @ Not So Fun Wknd
05.01.20 - Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub
05.02.20 - Tallahassee, FL @ Junction
05.03.20 - Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees
05.06.20 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
05.07.20 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
05.08.20 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
05.09.20 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
05.10.20 - Ukiah, CA @ Ukiah Brewing Company
05.12.20 - Spokane, WA @ Lucky You Lounge
05.13.20 - Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret
05.14.20 - Tacoma, WA @ Alma Mater
05.15.20 - Everett, WA @ Fisherman's Village Music Festival
05.16.20 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
05.17.20 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux
05.19.20 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
05.20.20 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
05.22.20 - Sacramento, CA @ The Starlet Room
05.23.20 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Soho
05.24.20 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
05.25.20 - Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress
05.27.20 - Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas
05.28.20 - Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar
05.29.20 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
05.30.20 - Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box
05.31.20 - Pensacola, FL @ Chizuko
May 6-14, 16-31 with Winter
May 8, 9, 22, 23 with Winter and Business of Dreams
There's history to bands covering Pavement's "Box Elder." When The Wedding Present recorded their interpretation of the track from Pavement's Slay Tracks (1933–1969) EP track back in '89, it caught the ear of renowned BBC DJ John Peel and helped generate buzz for the release abroad. Nearly three de…
As DJ Cheryl Waters points out, Surfer Blood may not be the same "pen of puppies" they were in 2009, but on their newest release, 1000 Palms, they go back to their DIY roots. No longer with a major label looking over their shoulder and now with years of touring experience under their belt, the Flor…
There's no denying Surfer Blood's love for 90's indie rock. Fragments of Pavement, Pixies and Weezer are undeniable elements in their sound, but the band made a space for themselves on their 2010 debut, Astro Coast, by adding breezy surf melodies blown off the beaches of their Florida home. Since t…