Griff, Howie and Elmar are THE PLAGUE

Whilst so often revered as an international surf capital, Hossegor will probably never be known for its contributions to the world of music culture. At times, the closest you’ll come to ‘live music’ might be a mic’d-up bar proprietor toasting over favourites like ‘Everybody Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump Around!’ well into the wee hours. Around a year ago The Plague emerged from the studio under the Volcom office and started gigging at The Cream Café in Seignosse and elsewhere, delivering a well-received aural alternative. We talked to Plague frontman and pro surfer Jason Griffith.

Who’s in The Plague?

Myself on vocals/guitar, Howie on bass and Elmar the German on percussion.

How’d you get together?

I’d just come back from a trip home to the East Coast of the US, and I hooked up with Elmar, a Volcom skateboarder from Germany. Neither of us had picked up instruments for a while, I’d been surfing and he’d been skating. We got in the studio at the Volcom office and just hit it off. A couple of days later Howie (SE resin correspondent Jason Howe) came in too, and then we just started putting the hours in. We didn’t get out much, just stayed right here in Hossegor and played.

Music style?

Well it’s rock for sure, maybe a little bit of roll.

A lot of people like to crap on about how music and surfing are so connected. Do you really see those similarities?

I suppose they’re both forms of entertainment… I guess sometimes music and surfing can flow together quite well.

Plans for a European tour?

We just finished a tour with Volcom, the Get Nuts with The Plague Tour, around France and Belguim. We went through Dijon, Nancy, up to Belgium. We didn’t really have a CD to promote but we had a lot of music. So next up I guess we’ll be spending more time in the studio, and also head up to the mountains and do some dates up there.

How’s Howie’s attendance record?

Well he’s got a couple of black marks for sure, but compared to his showing up for work, it’s pretty good. He’s been sanding surfboards down at Pukas in Spain the last week or so, but he still showed up yesterday for practice.

Shout outs: To Volcom Europe, all the boys there – Mike, Seb and Simon. Brett at DC Shoes, The Cream Café in Seignosse and everybody who’s supported us.