The SURFER Interview: TOM CURREN

SURFER: It's obviously not an attempt to crack the Top 40.

TOM CURREN: Right. It's really just the stuff I like playing, and I think it came out pretty well because of the fact that it was such a long process. It wasn't just some spontaneous thing. In many ways, I was the guy with the biggest problem with it the first time around. Because some of the songs were a little older they were coming from a whole different headspace.

SURFER: With it coming together over such a long period of time would you say it's a good reflection of the journey you've been on in recent years?

TOM CURREN: Yeah, I'd say they're mostly pretty personal, but um, y'know, the only thing is with personal songs some of them work as actual songs, and others don't. It's a really simple art form, but everything has to hold together or it doesn't work. It's funny, sometimes I wish I'd just write about going to the beach and hanging out with friends, but I don't know...that doesn't happen.

SURFER: Well, I don't think we could picture you singing about a little red corvette or surfer girls.

TOM CURREN: No, (laughs) I hope not. I think overall it's a bit of a somber album, and looking back I think the hardest thing is to make a soulful sort of song without being too pathetic. That's the risk you take when things get personal.

SURFER: How long has your surfing and music relationship existed.

TOM CURREN: Well, when I was about 13-years-old I was super into drumming. We had the last house between the freeway and the railroad tracks and my parents would still get complaints from the neighbors about the noise. We were a nightmare to be around.

SURFER: So with everything you have going on where does surfing fit in now?

TOM CURREN: Generally it's really hard to be at a satisfactory level at both simultaneously. It's not impossible, but it's really hard. Right now, this is the peak season here in Santa Barbara, and at the moment I've been working on a new board model with Al Merrick, so I'd say in terms of surfing right now I'm on more of an upswing--or at least trending upward. Surfing is still my main activity.

SURFER: When many surfers think of Tom Curren they automatically think of Occy [Mark Occhilupo] too, because of the famous rivalry you two had. Was that something you were able to enjoy and thrive off when it was happening?