Grief has always had a rhythm. Sometimes it hums. Sometimes it crashes.
On their new single “Catch a Wave,” AWOLNATION join forces with North Shore charger and musician Makua for a tribute to surfers who lost their lives in the ocean. The track was recorded at Top Tomato Market in Venice with producer Jimmy Messer and arrives rooted in personal loss but shaped into something closer to reverence than despair.
Frontman Aaron Bruno has said the song was sparked by losing a fellow surfer in the water, marking the first time he experienced that kind of tragedy firsthand. Rather than frame the ocean as villain, Bruno leaned into the paradox that defines surf culture: the sea can take, but it also gives purpose, freedom, and spiritual pull. “Catch a Wave” reflects that duality, balancing melancholy with uplift.
Makua’s presence carries its own weight. Born and raised on Oahu’s North Shore, he began surfing at age two and built a reputation as one of big wave riding’s most fearless competitors. At 18, he conquered the 66-foot wave commonly known as Jaws, earning a Billabong XXL Big Wave Award, according to the World Surf League. In 2015, he won the WSL Big Wave World Tour championship, cementing his place among the sport’s elite.
His connection to the song goes beyond accolades. In 2018, Makua suffered a violent wipeout at Cloudbreak in Fiji that drew national coverage from outlets including NBC News and TMZ. He survived, but the incident underscored the razor-thin margin between glory and catastrophe in big wave surfing. That lived experience informs both his vocal performance and the song’s accompanying video, which honors what he calls “Wave Warriors” who died doing what they loved.
“This song is special because it gives me the opportunity to share outside of myself,” Makua said. The video serves as a memorial, designed to keep the memory of fallen surfers alive for their families and community.
For AWOLNATION, whose catalog has often balanced explosive hooks with introspection, “Catch a Wave” feels like a pivot toward something more elemental. It is less about bombast and more about breath. Less about spectacle and more about spirit.
“Catch a Wave” is also this week’s official Song of the Week for both The Pier and Skratch N Sniff. The track will be featured on Skratch N Sniff’s Alt Show this weekend. To find out where the show airs in your market, head to snsmix.com for station listings and broadcast times.
Surfing has always been equal parts sport and ceremony. With “Catch a Wave,” Bruno and Makua turn loss into a living tribute, ensuring that for those who chased the horizon and never returned, the swell never fully breaks.
Watch The Video for “Catch a Wave”
Check out our interview with Makua here:
