Interview with George Fullerton by Paul Wade
Hey team, congratulations on the new album ‘Keep it Together’ — you recorded it at The Ranch in Southampton with Daly George. So many amazing bands have recorded there. What was the experience like?
Thank you so much! We’re really lucky to have recorded every song we’ve done with Daly at The Ranch. It’s a really special place to us, and Daly is like the fifth member of the band. We really feel at home there, so it was a no brainer to bring Dom’s songs to life and put the record together there.
Even though the landscape for consuming music has changed there is still something very validating about releasing an album — was that something you were conscious about? After three EPs, multiple singles, and years of touring, why does now feel like the right time for a debut album?
We’ve been a band for almost a decade, so it made sense to finally reach the milestone – it’s something we’d been talking about for a few years, but after Dom moved to Dublin and wrote this record, we were so excited to record it as soon as he sent some demos over. We’re incredibly proud of the songs and while most people struggle to consume more than 15-30 seconds of a song nowadays, we’re still lovers of a full length.
What lessons have you learned about building an audience in the modern music landscape? Because it feels harder and harder to know the right, best way to do that?
One of the hardest, but most important elements is authenticity. It’s strange, but you can almost always tell when a band is focused on success over genuinely enjoying the process of making music and playing shows. Luckily, as much as we want the band to reach people, we’re more focused on enjoying ourselves these days. We hope that people get that energy when we’re on stage, which should make it more enjoyable for everyone.
How important were opportunities like being played on BBC Introducing or getting on playlists on Spotify etc in helping the band reach new listeners?
It’s absolutely huge when opportunities like these come along, because there’s an endless ocean of bands in every single genre, so when someone likes what they hear and can offer a platform, you’ve got to be grateful for it. When ‘Lines’ was released a few years ago, and ended up reaching hundreds of thousands of streams, it definitely felt like we’d be on the cover of NME at some point, but that never happened!
Back to the album, why was Keep It Together the right choice for both the lead single and the album title?
It was a name that summed up the overriding message behind these songs. Dom has been through some tough times over the years, and these songs offer an expression of how he’s dealt with these situations. Ultimately, they have helped him to keep his mental health together and find himself in a much better place now.
I read that for a chunk of the album writing process Dom was living in Ireland. Has being geographically separated at times changed the way you collaborate and communicate as a band?
Well, it certainly meant Dom’s bank account was being ruined every few months! Luckily, he put aside the time, effort and money to keep the band going as best as possible. Nowadays with technology, it’s pretty easy to stay in touch, even if the guys can’t stand my voice notes. Good art takes time to create, so having to pace ourselves ended up possibly working in our favour in the end with the outcome of the album.
What’s your proudest moment of the album from a recording standpoint?
I think individually we all had some particular moments to be proud about, but Matt certainly pushed himself with the support of Daly to shred some of the best lead parts he’s ever played. The guitars on this record definitely shine.
If someone has never heard The Lonely Surf before, which track from this album would you play them first to best encapsulate you as a band and why?
Probably ‘Car Conversations’, as it starts with a moody energy but bursts into a catchy chorus. It has that blend of indie and punk rock that we love so much.
The other night we were sat around trying to recall shows we’d played from years back because it’s easy to forget some when you play so many. Diving into The Lonely Surf’s memory pool, what’s the most memorable show you’ve played so far and why?
There’s been a few highlights, but we recently supported The Terrys at The Old Fire Station in Bournemouth, and that felt like a really special night. It was a Sunday night, but the venue was packed and even early on when we opened the show, the place had an incredible atmosphere. Another one I’ll never forget was playing the O2 Academy in Islington with Black Water County many years ago. A place where many legends have stepped on that stage.
I know for me releasing an album on vinyl was very much a bucket list to achieve. What does success for Keep It Together look like for you as a band beyond streams and numbers?
Regardless of how many copies of the record we sell, or streams, we’ll always be proud of this album. The sense of pride I feel listening to these songs isn’t something I can put into words. I’m always blown away by Dom’s songwriting, but he really knocked it out the park with this collection of songs. Let’s hope there’s another album in the pipeline!
I’m sure that you all have many different influences, but who are some bands that are connective tissue for the band? Bands that you all love and whose music serves as inspiration for the band?
Without a doubt, The Menzingers and The Wombats come to mind. The early noughties indie rock sound mixed alongside anthemic punk rock is what we all love.
You are the first Bournemouth based band we have had for NSG. What is the DIY scene like down there and are there any cool bands that you can recommend we check out?
What an honour! We may not have tonnes of venues here, but we have some incredible places like Bear’s Bar & Venue, Chaplin’s and The Anvil, as well as a few others that offer a space for smaller touring and local artists to play. There’s a particularly strong heavy music scene here, even within some of the more niche subgenres of metal, but we’re lucky to have a good range of sounds come through our seaside town. In terms of bands, we love Black Water County, Wave Chase (RIP), Opalites and Still Life.
What’s the rest of 2026 looking like for team Surf?
We’re playing a few shows in the next few months, before an album release tour for the last week of October which we’re really looking forward to. Hopefully we can keep the momentum of the record going and finish the year strong. We’re also putting on the second edition of our charity music festival ‘Ripper Fest’ which takes place on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th September in Bournemouth and raises money for Forest Holme Hospice.
