Chuck Prophet - FUV Live - 2015

On an album that could have been titled “Invasion of the Tech Monsters”, Chuck Prophet follows up his 2012 celebration of San Francisco, Temple Beautiful, with observations on the changing effects that the tech community has had on his beloved city. Night Surfer is Prophet's thirteenth studio effort and it stands in contrast to his last album, not only lyrically but sonically. While Temple Beautiful was mostly a stripped-back affair, Night Surfer plays like an old, favorite Rolling Stones album, complete with horns and strings.

As Chuck Prophet and his band The Mission Express return to Studio A to share a couple songs with us, we talk about how this new collection started as “a dystopian, anxious, end-of-the-world, post-apocalyptic thing." But it’s all delivered with his signature laid-back, dry wit and a solid dose of hope.

Hear Chuck tell us how the big, classic arrangements of the album originated from a mixtape of Dutch glam rock, recalling surfing at night as a kid in Orange County, California. He also talks about how covering MC5 with his high school band sparked a longtime friendship with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, who guests on much of the new album.

[recorded: 10/21/14]

More from Chuck Prophet:

• Chuck Prophet - Words & Music - 2007
• Chuck Prophet - Words & Music - 2012