Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws at Rough Trade East

Bathed in bright red lights and strumming his acoustic guitar, Matthew Caws shows his fans at Rough Trade East that Nada Surf’s music remains as genuine and heartfelt as ever. The solo performance celebrates the upcoming album Moon Mirror release with independent label New West Records, marking the band’s return after a four-year hiatus, before concluding with a signing session for a personal touch.

He opens with the 2000s hit Inside of Love and Friend Hospital, capturing the melancholic mood of the original tracks’ indie rock sound just as well with his acoustic guitar. The emotionally resonant lyrics set the hopeful mood for the night. Throughout the hour-long set, Caws charms the intimate gathering with personal stories intertwined between acoustic tracks. These anecdotes are sometimes light-hearted preludes to songs, ranging from sweet to quirky. One particularly touching tale involves his bandmates surprising him with a guitar he adored but couldn’t afford, while another focuses on his father’s wholehearted acceptance when classmates teased him for not fitting traditional masculine norms. Even the more absurd moments are delivered with the same sincerity he brings to his music.

Before performing In Front of Me Now from his upcoming album, he shares the humorous story of how he once set off seven smoke alarms in his house while vacuuming, which served as inspiration for the buoyant track’s introspective lyrics: a few days later, while driving, he made a deal with himself that he would stop trying to juggle multiple tasks at once. He jokes that he’s now “five per cent less multitask-y”, before turning the audience’s attention to the song’s lines, which reflect on his constant distraction: doing one thing while thinking about another. From the whimsical “dreaming when I was driving” to the more sombre “haunting not just remembering”, every verse is a personal rumination on the importance of being present. The wide-spanning setlist calls attention to how well Nada Surf have maintained their sound over three decades. New Propeller, from Moon Mirror, features sanguine lines and bittersweet tunes that contemplate and come to terms with change. It highlights the band’s personal evolution and musical continuity from their 2002 classic Blizzard of ‘77, whose anxiety-laden riffs are perfectly recounted by Caws 22 years later, across the Atlantic from where the eponymous disaster took place.

The frontman’s playful rendition of John Lennon’s Oh Yoko!, his current most cherished song to sing at home, is introduced with a witty comment about how he – like every other musician – wishes he had written it. His distinctive vocals bring a captivating depth to the 70s classic, which is perfectly suited to the evening’s intimate and relaxed atmosphere. The gig comes to an end with Hyperspace – an upbeat fan favourite and fittingly dynamic finale to a night still abuzz with anticipation for the meet-and-greet that is to follow.

Christina Yang
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Nada Surf’s website here.

Watch the video for the single In Front of Me Now here: