For Round 3, the Florida-born Surfer Blood return to their roots -- mostly. They've parted ways with major-label representation (Warner Bros.) and foregone the notable but expensive producer (Gil Norton) of their last record, opting instead to man the mixer themselves.
"Making a record in a studio with a producer is an experience I would never take back," Surfer Blood frontman John Paul (JP) Pitts told SoundDiego. "It was amazing. And I've always wanted to make a record that I consider a top-notch production. But in the process of all that, I missed the hands-on aspect of recording. I like to turn the knobs myself."
On Friday, San Diego will get a taste of the new record -- dubbed "1000 Palms" (Joyful Noise) and dropping on May 12 -- when the alt-rock band surfs into the Casbah.
After making waves with their debut single, "Swim," in 2009 -- and then again shortly thereafter with the release of their first LP, "Astro Coast" -- Surfer Blood quickly became known for sing-along pop-rock nuggets that dissolve easily on your tongue. This latest homespun record, however, comes with a disclaimer from Pitts: "There's not as many big choruses on this one, but there's a lot more interesting details."
Those details come by way of pushing band boundaries (like moving the recording sessions outdoors), experimenting and taking what comes in stride.
"We went into it with the mentality that we just wanted to record the first 10 songs we wrote together and not overthink it," Pitts said, adding, "just let the songs direct the flow of the album and all that."
Whether the record ebbs remains to be seen at the Casbah on Friday.
Surfer Blood play the Casbah, Feb. 20, 8:30 p.m., $13, 21+. Talk in Tongues open.
Hannah Lott-Schwartz, a San Diego native, moved back to the area after working the magazine-publishing scene in Boston. Now she’s straight trolling SD for all the music she missed while away. Want to help? Hit her up with just about anything at all over on Twitter, where -- though not always work-appropriate -- she means well.
