Ben Siegfried

One of these guys used to babysit Jim Belushi’s dog.

“We call our music ‘grit pop,’” says Subsurfer bassist/singer Deric Fernandez. “Really gritty with a pop sensibility.”

After making their live debut in January 2011 at 710 Beach Club in PB, they released their debut We Are Stars in October, recorded with Brian Karscig (Nervous Wreckords, Louis XIV) at White Horse Recording Studio. Karscig also sang backup on the track “Girl Problem.”

“The album is about girls and stars, Hollywood and outer space, along with all the dark and sexy craziness of being in the Hollywood scene,” says Fernandez. The band includes Dave Montalbano (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Greg “Bones” Jones (guitar), and Greg Patus (drums, percussion).

Subsurfer performs Saturday, January 7, at the Soda Bar with the Schitzophonics and Shake Before Us.

WHAT’S IN YOUR MUSIC PLAYER?

Dave Montalbano:

1) Nirvana, Nevermind. “I’m still finding gems of genius within each song that I’ve never heard before.”

2) The Wedding Present, Bizarro. “Whenever I’m tired or down, I just put this in and the jangly guitars wake me up and turn my day around.”

3) Autolux, Future Perfect. “I don’t know what they’re singing about half the time, but I understand where they’re coming from.”

4) The Vaccines, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? “Fun beats and quick songs, with perfect pop melodies overlapping gritty guitars.”

Deric Fernandez:

1) Rise Against, Revolutions Per Minute. “Every song hits hard and fast.”

2) Muse, Black Holes and Revelations. “Amazing songwriting.”

3) Offspring, Ignition. “This album brings me back to a time when all I thought about was music.”

Greg “Bones” Jones:

1) Sumak, Now Hear This. “Great quirky band from Hollywood that rotates their instruments amongst each other while playing, without stopping the song.”

2) System of a Down, Toxicity. “Insane vocals and musicianship.”

3) Incubus, Make Yourself. “I used to rehearse in the same studio as these guys in Reseda.”

Greg Patus: “Compilation discs of artists such as Alice in Chains, Nirvana, the Killers, and Kings of Leon.”

GUILTY MUSICAL PLEASURE?

Montalbano: “Jonas Brothers, ‘Lovebug.’ Hey, it’s an infectious, perfect pop song. When I listen to it, I pretend it’s a cool band from Sweden or something.”

Jones: “Owl City, with really dumb electronica songs that my eight-year-old daughter likes.”

Patus: “Lady Gaga.”

WHERE DO YOU HANG OUT?

Jones: “I like to walk my dog through Del Mar Town Center and count the Range Rovers.”

Patus: “The museums at Balboa Park.”

FAVORITE CONCERT?

Montalbano: “Nirvana at Off the Record in October 1991. I was one of the first 100 people in San Diego to buy Nevermind, so they gave all of us a private show at OTR. Kurt Cobain drew the baby peeing on my Nevermind poster and signed it.”

EVER BEEN FIRED?

Jones: “I got fired from the PB Bar and Grill. At sunset, the manager wanted me to take down all the table umbrellas, so I did, even the ones where people were still eating. While I was cranking the umbrellas shut, bugs and stuff were falling into people’s food and drinks.”

SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

Montalbano: “I was an actor in San Diego and L.A. for years.”

Jones: “I used to babysit Jim Belushi’s dog.”

WHO SHOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE?

Montalbano: “Paul Rudd, because he’s a funny guy and a bit dorky.”

Fernandez: “I’ve been told Dean Cain is my doppelganger.”

Jones: “Christian Bale, because we have the same physique.”

Patus: “Daniel Craig.”

WHERE DO YOU ALWAYS TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS?

Montalbano: “Avenue 5 has kick-ass food, and local artists hang pieces on their wall.”

Fernandez: “Miguel’s Cocina in Coronado for dinner and the Casbah for live music.”

Jones: “I usually take out-of-town guests to the Gaslamp and tell them how it used to be nothing but crackheads and whorehouses.”

Patus: “Where else? The beach.” ■