Riding the wave of 2010s DIY, lo-fi, jangly indie-rock, Surf Curse came crashing onto the scene in 2013 with a surf rock aesthetic and their debut studio album, Buds. Surf Curse was originally formed in Reno, Nevada, US by guitarist Jacob Rubeck and lead singer and drummer Nick Rattigan, who met as teenagers at high school and initially performed together in a band called Buffalo 66. Drawn in particular to the fertile scene surrounding pivotal venue The Smell, the pair relocated to Los Angeles, California where they were able to soak up the sunshine-drenched sounds of the famous music city. Surf Curse released their second album, the rough-hewn surfy missive Nothing Yet, while third album Heaven Surrounds You, arrived in 2019, spearheaded by a trio of singles: the post-punk-y "Midnight Cowboy," the more reflective and slower-paced "Hour of the Wolf" and art-rock-esque "Disco." In August 2020, the band's label, Danger Collective Records, cut ties with the pair and with Nick Rattingan's solo project Current Joys following allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
