Surfaces

Surfaces, a Texas-based pair with roots in College Station, craft upbeat and feel-good pop that draws from 1970s R&B, electronica, and hip-hop. Their breakthrough arrived via the 2017 release Surf and its track “Be Alright,” after which the 2019 follow-up Where the Light Is, powered by “Sunday Best,” secured their first Billboard 200 placement. Horizons appeared in 2020 and reached number 28 on the Billboard pop chart; that same year they joined Elton John for the single “Learn to Fly.” Pacifico, issued in July 2021, also charted on the Billboard 200 and featured contributions from Quinn XCII, Salem Ilese, and Xavier Omär. A standalone cut with Tai Verdes titled “Sheesh!” surfaced later that year while the duo prepared their next project. Hidden Youth, their fifth album, arrived in August 2022 and contained buoyant selections such as “I Can’t Help But Feel” and “What’s Been on Your Mind?” In April 2023 they offered the acoustic ballad “Thankful,” then unveiled “Real Estate” as the opening track from the forthcoming Good Morning. Released in June 2024, that album maintained the laidback, sunny atmosphere of prior work and included appearances by Los Lonely Boys and JVKE.

Formed in 2017, the group comprises singers, songwriters, and producers Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki. Padalecki’s earliest efforts date to high school, when he recorded with his cousin, singer Alexa Padalecki; he kept writing while studying at Texas A&M and sharing tracks online. Seattle-based Frank discovered the material and invited Padalecki to collaborate aboard his houseboat. Their debut album Surf reached listeners in December 2017 and spotlighted “Be Alright,” whose online traction soon translated into touring opportunities. The sophomore set Where the Light Is followed in 2019, again showcasing “Sunday Best.”