Bands/Artists You Should Be Listening To Right Now - Nada Surf

Photo Credit: Paloma Bomé

In an era of information overload, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. We have access to so much music, it can be difficult to appreciate (or find) artists that we connect with. With that in mind, we thought it would be a cool idea to give you some periodic recommendations of bands/artists you simply need to be listening to! Let’s get started!

If you were around in the 90’s, we’re sure you have heard Nada Surf’s single “Popular”. The single was so different from what was out there at the time and featured lead singer Matthew Caws doing a bitingly sarcastic recitation of Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity by actress Gloria Winters. “Popular” was featured on the band’s debut record High/Low. The track was a hit, but despite this, the band was dropped from their label Elektra in response to the label’s reception of their follow up The Proximity Effect.

Hear us out, while we get why people inherently tie Nada Surf to “Popular”, we argue that the band had such a big glow-up in their subsequent records. Their stretch of Let Go (2002), The Weight is A Gift (2005), and Lucky (2008), might be one of our favorite three studio album run that we can think of.

On Let Go, we especially love “Inside of Love”. This track was featured in a particularly riveting scene in the TV show How I Met Your Mother. However, as with all albums from Nada Surf, it’s really difficult to pick one track among all of those present on the record. Our advice, start them at the top and let it ride, the way it was intended to be.

On The Weight Is a Gift, we chose “Always Love” for your consideration. This track features dynamic leads, driving melodies, and Caws’ signature soaring vocals.

On Lucky, we have selected “Whose Authority”. But again, you can’t go wrong with any track on the record.

We similarly love Nada Surf’s later records The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy (2012), You Know Who You Are (2016), Never Not Together (2020), and their latest album Moon Mirror (2024).

Photo Credit: Michael La Torre

We can also attest that the band puts on one hell of a live show. We caught them during their 2017 tour for the anniversary of their seminal album, Let Go. We saw them in Austin, TX at an intimate venue. The band played Let Go in its entirety, followed by a selection of favorites from their discography. We had the opportunity to meet the band (see above) and can say that they are so humble and generous with their time for their fans.

We don’t want to overwhelm you with a myriad of tracks to listen to, so check out the aforementioned songs to get a sense of the band’s sound. We recommend just going through their expansive discography, you really cannot go wrong.

Nada Surf are:

Current Members

• Matthew Caws – lead vocals, guitar (1992–present)

• Daniel Lorca – bass, backing vocals (1992–present)

• Ira Elliot – drums, backing vocals (1995–present)

• Louie Lino – keyboards

Past Members

• Aaron Conte – drums (1993–1995)

  
  

Contributing/Touring Members

• Daniel Brummel – bass, backing vocals (2016)

• Martin Wenk – trumpet, keyboards, xylophone

• Doug Gillard – guitar, backing vocals (2012–2019)

FMI on all things Nada Surf, visit their website.