Matt Surfin' & Friends

Prior to launching Matt Surfin' & Friends, Matt Seferian was a member of New Orleans-based indie rock groups including Donovan Wolfington and Pope. Working with a variety of collaborators, including members of Rayboys and Video Age, he put a poppier, more laid-back spin on influences such as lo-fi, punk-pop, and soft rock on the project's 2019 debut, Matt Surfin' & Friends. Seferian founded punk-minded indie rock group Donovan Wolfington with singer/guitarist Neil Berthier when they were students at Loyola University in 2011. The pair eventually recruited keyboardist Savannah Sexton, then added bassist Christian Baraks and drummer Chris Littlejohn to round out the original quintet. The band issued its debut, Stop Breathing (Broken World Media/Community Records), in 2013. In the meantime, Seferian formed '90s alt-rock descendants Pope with co-frontman Alejandro Skalany and drummer Atticus Lopez. Pope self-released the EP Known Weed Smoker, also in 2013. The cassette EP Bug followed on Ritual Tapes in 2014. After signing with Top Shelf Records, Donovan Wolfington released the EP Scary Stories You Tell in the Dark in 2014. Sexton and Baraks left the group before the band recorded sophomore LP How to Treat the Ones You Love, which featured Chris Lanthier on bass. It arrived on Top Shelf in 2015. They toured the United States and Europe before announcing their intention to disband after recording a final album. In the meantime, Pope returned with the full-length True Talent Champion in 2017. Donovan Wolfington's final incarnation had Berthier and Seferian joined by Skalany on bass and Mike Saladis on drums. The quartet released their third album, Waves, on Community in early 2018 and played their farewell show for Community Records' tenth anniversary celebration. Seferian re-emerged in early 2019 with Matt Surfin' & Friends' first pair of songs: "Get Down," with Rui Gabriel and I. Rui, and "Loser," whose participants included Ratboys' Juila Steiner. Third teaser "Waiting on You" featured Ross Farbe and Ray Micarelli of Video Age. All three songs were included on the full-length Matt Surfin' & Friends, co-released by Community and Muscle Beach later in 2019. ~ Marcy Donelson