Surfwax Ghost got its name from a Disneyland ghost. Sean, one of the Long Beach surf punk band’s two guitarists, took the Hatbox Ghost from the Haunted Mansion and turned it into a band name. The others agreed on it right away. It covered the two things they wanted people to hear in the music anyway: surf guitar and a little horror. Keep reading to learn about the band and their sound.
Watch the full interview below:
The band said “surf punk” is the closest description they’ve found. Call it surf rock and people expect instrumentals. Call it punk and that could mean about a hundred different things. Evan plays bass, sings and writes songs, Sean plays guitar, sings and writes, Bobby plays guitar (shreds), and contributes songs, while Brandon plays drums. Rancid, Shannon and the Clams, and the Mummies all came up when the band talked about influences.
Thirteen singles, 50 copies
Surfwax Ghost put its first 13 singles on vinyl, drawing from tracks released between March 2023 and August 2024. The band recorded with Johnny Bell at Jazzcats Studio in Long Beach. Bell remastered the existing recordings for vinyl, and the band pressed 50 copies. At the time of the interview, the original singles were available on streaming services and the remastered collection was sold through the band’s website. You can also pull up to a show and pick one up there.
Recording a full album in one go was out of their budget, so they started with two singles and followed those with two four-track EPs. The band estimates it spent about six days recording the collection, spread out over a year. Some songs had already been through a year of live sets before making it onto the record. “Monster Movie Marathon” was one of them. A stolen bike outside Long Beach’s Pike Bar gave Sean another song.
What it takes to put on a show
Evan books shows and handles the artwork. Sean makes music videos, some shot on phones. These days, they talk through video ideas before deciding which song to take into the studio. Brandon, aka the “Doctor,” helps with gear rehearsal space, and brings a PA, mixer and cables when a venue needs them. He also brings lights to places like the Doll Hut, where the stage is small and dark. The band’s partners pitch in on props, film sets and run the merch table while the four are onstage.
Surfwax Ghost played its first show at Supply & Demand in June 2023. Vine has since become a regular spot for the band, and it’s one of the places where Evan noticed something he’d been waiting for. People he’d never met told him they saw the venue’s flyer, liked what they heard and came out for the set.
The band talked about playing a festival, filling a bigger room and putting out another record. Evan would also like a booking agent. Booking gigs around a full-time job takes hours, and he’s still the one reaching out to venues and other bands. His first goal was simpler. “I want people who I don’t know showing up,” he said. At Vine and Pike Bar, that’s already happening.
Catch the band at their November residency at Vine in Long Beach.
Follow the band:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surfwaxghost/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@surfwaxghost
About C² (Christy + Chris)
Concert lovers turned creators. Highlighting creators, bands, stories, sounds, and places you need to know.
Disarray Magazine is an independent media platform established in 2009, spotlighting rap, R&B, punk, hardcore, alternative culture, live music, food, nightlife, and the chaos in between. Created by journalist Christy Buena, C² exists to document the bands, people, and moments shaping the scene.
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