LA’s Surfbort are back, and they’re saying what so many of us have been feeling; growing up and growing apart fucking hurts, even when it’s necessary.
Originally emerging from Brooklyn’s punk scene and now based in Los Angeles, Surfbort has proven that their cult-cool energy transcends coasts. Drawing inspiration from the raw power of 1980s punk, they create explosive, feedback-drenched anthems that reject the digital age’s intolerance and celebrate love, inclusion, and friendship. Everyone is welcome in the Surfbort Freak Family.
‘Jessica’s Changed,’ the latest single from their upcoming album Reality Star (dropping 6 March on TODO Records, just in time for International Women’s Day), tackles that specific kind of heartbreak that comes from losing a close friend. Not to drama or betrayal, but simply because life pulls you down different paths. As their frontwoman, Dani Miller puts it, ‘My Jessica just doesn’t want to hang with me anymore, and I have to mourn that friendship.‘. But this song isn’t just about one lost friendship; it’s about navigating a world where, as Dani says, ‘people have gone completely mad, power hungry, and hate-filled’ while refusing to lose yourself in the chaos.
What makes this song special is how Surfbort transforms grief into movement. Instead of wallowing in loss, they build something energetic and powerful, combining raw punk urgency with dense, grungy guitars that grow heavier and more distorted as the song progresses. Musically, this is ’90s alt-rock through and through: drums that pound relentlessly, guitars drenched in distortion and turned up just a little too loud. The lo-fi production isn’t trying to be pretty; it’s got that same gritty, confrontational edge that made early Hole and Bikini Kill impossible to ignore.
Miller’s vocals are a fierce force of nature, unfiltered and unapologetically human. That iconic Dani twang ties it all together, giving the track an instantly recognizable personality. The vocals hit somewhere between Kathleen Hanna’s confrontational snarl but with the ragged melodic sensibility of The Distillers’ Brody Dalle. The guitars start grungy and heavy, then keep layering on the fuzz and distortion as the song goes on until they’re almost too much. It’s deliberately messy, the way Riot Grrrl bands knew how to be.
For those tired of playing nice and ready to dance through the madness, ‘Jessica’s Changed’ is your new anthem. Press play, turn it up, and remember: you’re still a hot ass bitch, even when – especially when – the world’s gone completely mad.
Upcoming live dates:
3/15 – Austin, TX, – Radio East
3/27 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon
4/3 – New York, NY – Night Club 101
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