Susan and the Surftones

Susan and the Surftones is an American surf instrumental band. The band is considered part of the “third wave” of surf-revivalist bands that formed the 1990s. The band was started in 1993 in Rochester, NY by lead guitarist Susan L. Yasinski, one of very few female lead guitarists in instrumental surf music. Influenced also by early Beatles, ‘’60’s garage and 70’s punk music, their sound incorporates traditional surf with elements associated with these other genres, such as the use of the combo-organ. The band’s first recording deal was with Gee-Dee Records in Hamburg, Germany who released their first CD, WIthout A Word, in 1995. Subsequent releases on Gee-Dee and two other European labels, Surf Waves (Belgium) and OmOm (Italy), and four European tours, earned them a fan base in Europe as well as the US. Susan relocated to the west coast in 2000, and reformed the band in Portland, Oregon. They continued to release albums both on CD and as digital releases.

Nissan (Italy) used two of their tunes, their cover of Ghost Riders in the Sky and Moon Woman ‘42, in a promotional DVD in 2005. They performed a showcase at the ROCKRGRL Music Conference in Seattle in 2005 and have played halftime shows for the NBA Portland Trail Blazers. In 2007 two of their original tunes (Tiki Kiki and The Blue Hammer) were used in MTV’s The Real World: Sydney. In addition to thirteen full-length album releases and a vinyl EP, Susan & The SurfTones appear on compilation albums released in the US, Italy, Australia, Russia, Korea and Germany. Their recordings have received airplay on numerous radio stations in the US and abroad.

In 2011, Susan recorded her first solo album, Shore, as Susan SurfTone, with producer Steve Kravac. It was released in October, 2011. Critically acclaimed, Shore followed on critical listening and appreciation of such classic greats as The Doors and Sha Na Na.[1]

Susan has followed the success of Shore with the release of two more albums as Susan SurfTone, also produced by Steve Kravac, Too Far in 2013, and a six-song EP, Reckoning, in 2014.

Members

Susan L. Yasinski is lead guitarist and band leader. In 2006, she also became the band’s bassist for studio recordings. Other members have included (on bass) Dave Anderson, Buck Malen, Jim Fritz, and Dan Ferguson; (on drums) Judd Williams, Brian Goodman, Bob Becker, Matt Miner and Paul Barrall; and (on keyboards) Kim13, and Avory Gray. In 2012 model/dancer Seana Steele became a featured member of the band as go-go dancer. The 2013 release, Too Far features Michele "Cookie" Heile on Theremin on two tracks.

Albums

Tours

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Interview on Outsight Radio Hours". Outsight Radio Hours. 2011-12-11. Retrieved 2012-01-08.