By Allesandro Rotondi

What is happening in the world of surf music right now? This is the first thought that came to my mind after reading about the death of legendary surf guitarist Dick Dale. He practically created the genre single-handedly, and remained true to his fiery guitar-picking roots until the end.

I wondered where surf music had led since 1961. The grit of the sound ended up in punk, like The Ramones. The fun beachlife ideology was adapted by Weezer. The wavy guitar sound ended up in lo-fi indie artists like Alvvays and Mac DeMarco. Then, I stumbled upon a Spotify playlist called Indie Surf Revival, and way down in the tracklist was Girl In Red (stylized girl in red). Girl In Red, a 20 year-old Norwegian singer/songwriter named Marie Ulven, is a singular force that is keeping the surf music ideology alive.

She writes, records and produces her music in her bedroom. Without the professional help of outside producers and professional recording studios, she is a true indie artist. Much like Ulven, surf music was born and raised in the household. Dick Dale, Jan Berry (of Jan & Dean), and The Beach Boys all cut their first records in a garage, thus helping launch the garage band scene, and some of the first home-recordings, which 21st century technology has now turned into a mainstream approach.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this a surf track, but it certainly embodies the ideals of the genre. Ulven has the sound: chunking strumming and meandering guitar tones, peppy drum beats, light and bouncy bass, and melodically swaying and carefree vocals. She also uses vocal doubling, which Brian Wilson helped pioneer in the early 60’s with vocal-surf.

Ulven has written possibly the greatest hook of the decade: “I need to be alone / or I’m gonna lose my shit.” It’s catchy, honest, and relatable, especially to the hip introvert culture that has rose to prominence in the 21st century. Ulven is a leader of this ideology, as she records music in the free kingdom of her own bedroom, and expresses her thoughts through music without worrying much about outside opinions.

“I Need To Be Alone” is an instant classic, and though we will miss Dick Dale, his soul can be heard in every guitar strum, every double-tracked handclap, and every crunchy snare hit on beats two and four, driving this musically feel-good, and thematically nostalgic introvert anthem forward.