Laura Daegling of Surfer Rosie sits in the booth of a Northeast Portland restaurant with a mug of chamomile tea. She’s recovering from a harsh cold, and when Noah Johanson (drums), Gill Brase (bass), and Gilly Avina (guitar) arrive, they discuss the Netflix shows Daegling (vocals/guitar) binged during her Sudafed-induced haze.
“I watched a lot of trashy documentaries,” she says. “I was sort of in and out of sleep, but that Gawker and Hulk Hogan one [Nobody Speak] was pretty messed up.” When Avina and Brase note that they would’ve opted for Dawson’s Creek, Daegling asks, “Isn’t it basically The L Word with straight people?”
Listening to them riff about about scene bands, AIM screen names, and Minecraft videos, you’d never guess that they’re about to release a self-titled debut EP. This seems more like old friends catching up than a band’s first interview. That’s probably because it’s both: All four members of Surfer Rosie met either attending, volunteering, or working at Portland’s Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls over four years ago.