Nada Surf
After making their initial impact with the single, 'Popular', this Los Angeles, California, USA-based alternative rock band (LA because of signing their record deal with Elektra) then struggled to shake off accusations that they were a 'novelty band'. The single - a teenage guide to winning popularity - was actually only partially representative of the group's songwriting, and was seen by some as an answer record to Radiohead's 'Creep'. Its lyrics - 'I'm a quarterback/I'm popular/I've got my own car/I'm a football star' - were writen by singer/guitarist Matthew Caws in tribute to his own high school alienation. Prior to forming Nada Surf with Daniel Lorca (bass) and Ira Elliot (drums), he had been a member of a number of unsuccessful independent groups. He had also worked as a journalist, taking a post as associate editor on the musicians magazine Guitar World. 'Popular' was followed by the release of the an EP, Karmic, for No. 6 Records (run by Terry Tolkin as a subsidiary of Elektra Records) and their full album debut for the parent label, High/Low. In 1998 The Proximity Effect was released on Electra.
© Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1998