Book Buzz – DARK SURF news & goings-on
Do you listen to music when you work? I do sometimes when I’m writing my novels. It not only makes it more fun, but it’s a quick way to put me in the right mindset. While working on DARK SURF and the sequel, the 2 bands I’ve listened to the most have been Kaiser Chiefs and Wavves.
I listened to Kaiser Chiefs’ Employment and Off With Their Heads albums repeatedly while writing DARK SURF. Songs like “Saturday Night” (Employment) and “Never Miss a Beat” (Off With Their Heads), among many others, put me in the exact right state of mind to get into my characters’ heads.
Then I got into Wavves. Their surf punk sound is the perfect match for my beach settings. Songs like “Super Soaker” and “Green Eyes” on King of the Beach, and “Sail to the Sun” and “Lunge Forward” on Afraid of Heights provide an awesome vibe for writing about surfing—and darker things.
As I continue editing book 2, I’ll have some new material to listen to soon. Kaiser Chiefs plan to release their 5th album, Education, Education, Education & War, on March 31. Want a sneak peek? Here’s a little post-punk song called “Bows and Arrows.”
It’ll be interesting to hear Kaiser Chiefs’ new sound since founder & drummer Nick Hodgson left the band in 2012. Bassist Simon Rix says this of the forthcoming album: “The album has a few themes on it… One of those is us against the world. We are better when we work together than when we do things on our own. ‘Bows and Arrows’ are useless on their own, that’s the starting point for that song. A call to arms. You are not alone. We can do anything when we do it together.”
So, thanks for joining me on this ride, Dark Surfers. We can do anything when we do it together.
