a brief bio

The Louisiana Surf Department is a swampadelic-country-rock band founded January 1, 2024 in Austin, Texas. On lead vocals and electric guitar, John Core of Crowley, Louisiana is truly the core of this music. He has carried most all of these songs for a long time on his journey to now – and has courageously brought this band together to help bring his songs to the world. Brian Bounds, hailing from north Texas, sits behind the drum kit and supports with backup vocals. Brian met John in Sedona, AZ in 2020.  After a chance reunion in Louisiana months later, their friendship was concretized in their first jam session. New-found little brother Markus “Shudawgy” Williams, originally from Tennessee, would not yet join the band, but first, invite a perfect stranger he saw on instagram into the fold. Enter James T. Carter, also from North Texas, on the bass guitar and backing vocals. James showed up to the house to jam, and the rest is history. James’ addition would solidify the trio, and January 1st, 2024 would mark their first organized rehearsal. After a year of digging into the project, Markus would reappear on the scene, this time with the intention of moving to Austin. “Young Man” as he is sometimes called, showed up, and kept showing up, and became a clear fourth member of the team. Not just for his world class guitar and musicality, but also for his world renowned hang.