(Artist Update)

Written by: Ginny Gaines  

When Surf Hat started piecing together the songs that would become Modern World Blues, the two of them were spending most of their days tucked away in Squamish, surrounded by mountains, mist, and the kind of silence that makes you think too much. They weren’t trying to reinvent themselves—they were just trying to make sense of the world around them. And like a lot of people these days, they were feeling the weight of everything happening all at once. That mood turned into the spark for their new album, released on November 6, 2025.

They didn’t sit down and say, “Let’s write a big concept record.” Instead, it naturally formed as they kept coming back with songs that all carried a similar feeling. Every riff and every lyric seemed to come around the same theme, a theme that has a strange mix of frustration, hope, exhaustion, and quiet determination that comes with living in the modern world.

The album begins with “Broken Record.”
The guys joked that the song felt like déjàvu, like when life keeps throwing you the same problems again and again. Short, sharp, and restless, it sets the tone immediately. Next came, “Chasing Your Tail,” a tune born from late-night conversations where they both realized how often people run themselves ragged trying to “keep up.” The world moves fast, and this track captures that dizzy feeling of never quite catching your breath.

“The Gutter” digs a little deeper, written during a tough week when everything felt off. It’s gritty and honest, but not hopeless, more of a reminder that everyone hits low points. Then, almost as a counterweight, “Life Worth Living” arrived. They wrote it on a bright afternoon when, for no particular reason, things felt lighter. It doesn’t pretend everything is perfect; it’s more like the sun peeking through the clouds for a moment.

The heart of the album sits in “Emptiness.”
This was their first single for a reason. It’s the moment where the album stops running and turns inward, trying to understand what’s missing and why. It’s slower, heavier, and stretches out longer than the songs before it, almost like the listener is forced to sit with themselves for a minute.

Midway through the record, things warm up a little with songs like “Stay For a While” and “Sunbeam.” These tracks feel like sitting on a porch with someone you trust, letting the conversation drift wherever it wants. But Surf Hat never sugarcoats things, either. “Lowlife” confronts the idea of being an outsider, someone on the fringe, and wearing it proudly. “Fast Lane” kicks things back into high gear, capturing the rush (and burnout) of modern pace.

Near the end, “Sad World” doesn’t shy away from calling things what they are. It’s a moment of honesty, not defeat as an acknowledgment that sometimes you just have to name the feeling before you can move past it. And finally, the album closes with “Washes Away,” a song that feels like deep cleansing breath after everything you’ve just heard. It doesn’t promise a perfect ending, but it offers something better a release, to whatever weighed you down at the beginning of the record, this track lets it drift out with the tide.

Even though Surf Hat are known for surfy, bright guitars, the songs on Modern World Blues aren’t sunny just for the sake of it. The upbeat sound mixes with the heavier mood in a way that feels real like life does. The production is crisp, warm, and intentional, with everything captured in high-resolution audio to give the album a clean but natural feel. Little by little, the band built this record into something that told the story of where they were emotionally during that time. And by the end, the album feels like reading someone’s journal, although, not dramatic, not over-explained, just honest.

Modern World Blues is Surf Hat’s way of saying, “We’re trying to figure this out too.”
It’s a soundtrack for people who feel overwhelmed by the world but keep going anyway. It’s a collection of small moments, confusion, hope, heartbreak, calm—that come together to paint a picture of what it feels like to be alive in 2025.

That's a wrap for my update on Surf Hat...Thank you for reading and in closing, please just know, Soundwave Music Media will be here and I will always do my best to bring you the rock music report! Please consider supporting me and the crew by purchasing a Soundwave shirt or hat and support our sponsors! Rock On! Until next time...🤘

ATTENTION ALL MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS!

If you're passionate about your music and you're ready to take your career to the next level, you need to reading this. In today's world, getting your music out there isn't just a dream; it's a reality. You don't need a big record label holding you back. You need freedom, control, and the tools to succeed. Soundwave Music Media has a special deal just for you. Use this link and code below to receive  20% off your DistroKid membership. Get your music out there and you maybe the next artist we report on.