The Surfdales are a one-man instrumental surf band, that draws influences from the instrumental surf music of the early 1960s and also releases Darkthrone songs on YouTube in '1960s Trve Kvlt surf music' style.
The first song ideas for The Surfdales (named after the Auckland sea side neighborhood of Surfdale, New Zealand) were written in July and September 2012, followed by some more in 2014, 2016 and 2017. Up from the start the plan was to name each song after an existing surf spot. August 15 and 19, 2017, drum and guitar tracks for one song and drum tracks for two others were laid down. In March 2018 the rest of the instruments were added and six more songs were recorded. By late April all recordings were finished, and mixing was done throughout April and May. The 32 minute self titled full-length got released May 24, 2018, via Bandcamp.
November 19, 2018, Danny uploaded a surf version of Darkthrone's To Walk The Infernal Fields on YouTube, as The Darkthrones and under the title To Surf The Infernal Seas. The description under the video mentions that the song was recorded by Danny Ramirez and his Surfdales. After this track suddenly got many more views up from summer 2022, on January 21, 2023, a surf interpretation of Darkthrone's En Ås I Dype Skogen was uploaded as Surf's Up I Dype Skogen -- again as The Darkthrones, and with Danny Ramirez and his Surfdales mentioned as the recording artists in the video description. November 22, 2022, and June 6, 2023, To Surf The Infernal Seas got played on WQUD 107.7 Vintage Radio, based in Illinois, USA.
November 9, 2023, Danny received an invitation to record a x-mas song for a compilation album by UK-based surf label Sharawaji Records. The participants were requested to record a well known x-mas song from their home country, so Danny decided to take on the December 1976 André Hazes hit song Eenzame Kerst. Most of the recordings took place on 18 and 19 November, and the Twang X-mas Party compilation got released digitally on December 19, 2023, with the physical release following shortly thereafter. Just like Danny's Darkthrone surf covers on YouTube, the x-mas cover song is attributed to Danny Ramirez and his Surfdales. December 21 Danny released a video for Eenzame Kerst.
- Eenzame Kerst (YouTube video, December 2023)
(André Hazes surf cover, as Danny Ramirez and his Surfdales)
- Twang X-mas Party (song on compilation album, Sharawaji Records SRW290, December 2023)
(André Hazes surf cover, as Danny Ramirez and his Surfdales)
- Surf's Up I Dype Skogen (YouTube release, January 2023)
(Darkthrone surf cover, as Danny Ramirez and his Surfdales)
- To Surf The Infernal Seas (YouTube release, November 2018)
(Darkthrone surf cover, as Danny Ramirez and his Surfdales)
- The Surfdales (Bandcamp download, May 2018)