I think your biggest hurdle is going to be the mindset that you have to find people who enjoy surf music to be in the band. If you know any musicians ask if they want to be in the band, it doesn't matter if they enjoy surf or not. If they are a decent musician then there is no reason they can't be in the band.

What Jake & 1loudbass said... find musicians who share your passion and musical values. It'll make things that much more fun. Then when you play out, look for venues that will appreciate the genre - create your own market. You can also be the opening act for a more mainstream genre. I find audiences love an hour of surf before the rockers come onstage. Also, look for songs with crossover sounds, like Duane Eddy twang, that'll probably appeal to the Utah western crowd.

I live in Ft. Lauderdale where few surf bands exist. I am amazed at how many more musical surf venues there are in States & cities nowhere near the ocean. I suspect Utah will embrace it too.

CUTBACK

Me and my buddy had a hard time starting our surf band. We started with some slight problems...
1. We live in the UK
2. In a <u>small </u>town on the East coast. (Kings Lynn pop.135,345)(but hey, at least we're on the coast!)(and i use the beach, albeit for parakarting not surfing, but hey)
3. We didnt know a single soul with our interests.
4. We were in a Synth pop duo, and owned loads of synths.(can you smell the issue? )

Luckily, we overcame our issues by selling the synths and buying guitars, and Marks (Stan Diego) brother is a drummer (who hadnt been in a band before so jumped at the chance!) and my brother-in-law is an 'ex'retired bassist, who was also pleased to be in any sort of band with his buddies.
Its all going very well!

Persevere!

http://www.myspace.com/surfpunkdiscopanzer

JakeDobner
Do you guys own any Moogs? I really want a Moog Source.

No, its all gone. I did have a Moog Satellite, but i smashed it up, live on stage! m/ m/

http://www.myspace.com/surfpunkdiscopanzer

At one time there was some surf action around Salt Lake City. Bob Dalley who wrote "Surfing Guitars...." and played with the Surf Raiders relocated there in the late '80s. Also there was a surf band called the Swamp Donkeys playing around Salt Lake City for a while. Good luck and DON'T give up...... Chase down Mel from the Messugga Beach Party. I think he knows Bob and might have a better handle on what was going on there in the mid to late '90s.......ed

Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?

Work up arrangements, and if you can write out a simple chord chart for each tune that you play lead on. This will help you memorize the song; if you find capable musicians it will make it much easier and quicker for them to learn the material. I arranged around 30 songs and made simple charts (in Word) when trying to start a surf/instro band. Eventually I found a bass player and another guitarist who were interested in playing this type of music. Having this much material ready to play gave the project a lot more credibility, I believe. It also allowed us to learn the material as a group much more quickly.

I think it helps to be clear to potential band members about the style of music you'll play. If it's surf instro keep to that idea. Playing the type of music you enjoy is the key to keep on doing it. No point in joining a band whose musical tastes you don't like or having new members join who are keen on another style. Gets pretty tiring pretty quick.
Talk up what you want and you might be surprised at the people and opportunities that come along.
We found that by inviting people to come and jam with us they would either like surf music and be keen to join or would politely decline further invites.
Some nights the shed was full of people Drums, percusion, 2x sax, 2x bass, 3 guitars, keys. Noise: the neighbours love it. Complained when we moved the band to the drummers place!

imafunkyman you've made the first step by publicly posting your interest in your chosen musical genre. Keep posting in bulletin boards etc. You might also want to set up a MySpace page with your profile and musical aspirations.
Another option is to go to a few open mic venues and network with other musicians.The most important thing is to get out there and get known. Best of luck with your search.

Marty

momsurfing_
i live in a town with a population of 1,200. it makes it very hard to find people to play with, so imagine trying to get a band together.

Hey Mom,
Our original bassist came from Moss Beach, which has a population of 400 -- imagine how happy he was to find us! Granted, it's about 20 minutes from SF, but still.

~B~

I live in Chicago and have had a tough time not only finding people with the same musical interests but also my same skill level. I stink. Really. And I really don't want to be with a bunch of guys or gals that will see me as dead weight. I'm playing once a week with a good friend of mine now who can play bass and drums and keyboard and we dork around but she HATES playing surf! She always wants to speed everything up and turn it into a punk song. Anyway, I'm sure we've all been in your same position so just keep looking. Maybe you can subvert someone and convince them to cross over after a couple jam sessions!