Not many bands have had the track run of Nada Surf. The New York indie rock act followed the typical trajectory of starting small and then blowing up after one of its tunes (“Popular”) became a hit in the mid-’90s. A feud with the record label, which wanted more hits on the follow-up album, followed and the band was subsequently dropped. For most bands, this would mark the end. But not Nada Surf. The group got a second wind and has soldiered on, carving out a niche for itself as an indie power-pop act that embraces an indie aesthetic and emphasizes songwriting and pretty vocal harmonies over radio-friendly appeal.
This article appears in Jun 20-26, 2012.
