Reading band bios is typically an exercise in cynicism. The bio says one thing, but the music usually says another; average bands are made to sound exceptional by way of semi-truths and exaggerated claims.
In the case of Surrogate and their debut full-length, Love is the For the Rich, such hyperbole is not necessary. When Surrogate—which includes vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Chris Keene and drummer Jordan Mallory—says their record was “self-produced” they don’t mean that they sat in some posh professional studio and directed a bunch of hired engineers on how they wanted things to sound. It means that Love is For the Rich was recorded entirely in Keene’s bedroom and a friend’s lumber-filled warehouse in their hometown of Chico, CA. Likewise, when primary songwriter Keene lists off his roster of musical influences or—Pedro the Lion, Neutral Milk Hotel, America, Starflyer 59—he’s not just trying to sound hip and eclectic. From the melodic minimalism of Pedro, to the vintage folk pop of America, Love is For the Rich actually brings to mind those bands. In fact, Jason Martin of Starflyer fame handled mixing duties on the record, helping maintain Surrogate’s decidedly mid-fi sonic approach. “The record definitely doesn’t have much of a slick sound. Its not super polished or anything,” says Keene. “But that was kind of the point, that’s really what I’m into. I like records that stand on the songs themselves rather than the production of the songs.”
For Surrogate, this idea of the song being the single most important thing—more important than the production, more important than the image, more important than even the band itself— is definitely no exaggeration. It can be traced back to the band’s somewhat accidental origins. It was late 2005 when Keene found himself bandless, off the road for the first time in years, and ready for a musical change of pace. Dissatisfied with what he calls the “wall of sound, constantly overdriven” style of guitar rock, Keene began writing songs in an altogether different vein. And although these songs would eventually become Love is For the Rich, initially, Keene had distinctly lower expectations. “I thought that maybe it’d be fun to play around town,” he remembers, “but that was basically the extent of it.” However, after playing the songs for Mallory, the two decided to start practicing and recording the songs together. These demos soon found their way to Tooth & Nail A&R man Jonathan Dunn, who signed the band and encouraged Keene to continue tracking the record himself. “Tooth & Nail kind of had that idea from the beginning because they liked the sloppy style of the demos,” says Keene. “It was really the first time I’d ever recorded anything. But I think it worked out pretty well, and I’m happy with that decision.”
From the plaintive, acoustic opener “Shift the Blame,” to the anthemic and danceable “15,” Love is For the Rich draws from a broad musical palette. Lyrically, however, Keene brings the album together with an unexpected thematic constant: satire. "It’s a lot of satirical bad advice,” says Keene of the albums lyrics. “I personally hate when people tell me what to do, so these lyrics come from the fact that I learn very much by experiencing things and seeing the consequences firsthand rather than taking people’s advice. There’s a lot of situational story telling on the record, leaving people to figure out their own stance on the situation, rather than being super blunt about what I’m trying to say.” On “Easy” a midtempo rocker that finds Keene singing “ Easy come, easy go / You know it doesn’t make a difference in the long run,” the story is about a boy, who upon inheriting a vast sum of money from someone he hardly even knows, justifies blowing it all by convincing himself that he didn’t really earn it. For Keene, this tale has personal significance. “It’s sort of self reflection, like ‘what am I doing with my life?’ I’ve been given some amazing opportunities and I’m not really using them to their full potential,” says Keene, ending this bio with its first, and only, untruth.
