The Wheeland Brothers blend SoCal surf rock with reggae, hip hop, acoustic pop and whatever else feels good. They have a simple trial each new song must pass. They call it “The Hideaway Test.” Taking new tunes to their hidden surf camp on the coast, brothers Travis and Nate will first see how each one feels in its elemental, stripped-down form – just an acoustic guitar, ukulele and sunset harmonies, played beside a crackling beach bonfire. If the “depth of a good time” hits home, they explain, the song passes the test.

Inspired early on by their choir-singing mother and a father who’s storytelling was legendary, they made music a game and had an elementary school “band,” finding escape in the joy of performance. But everything changed when they started surfing. Suddenly drawn to sunshine soul searchers like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley, Sublime and Jack Johnson, the brothers began camping on the beach, writing songs and applying the steady rhythms of the ocean to a world in perpetual chaos. Although both brothers sing, write, play guitar and ukulele, Travis provides the duo with an earthy, effortless vocal, while Nate’s guitar-influenced uke playing and rhythmic vocal style is one of a kind. Each one brings a different flavor to the mix – a natural grounding from Travis and an energetic edge from Nate – and when put together, their connection is something unique.