Not many musical artists can also call themselves filmmakers. Other than Jack Johnson, not many can also say that a surfing accident is what led them to become a well-known and successful songwriter. 

Jack Johnson, who many may know from the “Curious George” soundtrack, specifically his song “Upside Down”, is taking over the summer of 2026. Johnson, born in Hawaii, was always a surfer but not always a musical artist. He started surfing at the age of five and dreamed of going pro. As he continued in his surfing career in his teens, he started playing guitar. However, at the age of seventeen, at Banzai Pipeline, he had a surfing accident that ultimately ended his surfing career. While he spent time at home healing, he picked up his guitar and started playing with the intention of having a music career. He also created surf films on a 16mm camera and used his music as the soundtrack. He then went off to the University of California, where he earned a BFA in Film Studies and played in a band called “Soil”. 

Now, a documentary called SURFILMUSIC has premiered at SXSW, South by Southwest, which is an event that celebrates the arts in Austin, TX. The documentary follows Jack Johnson’s life and honors his friend Tamayo Perry, who passed away in 2024. The documentary dives into how Jack Johnson really discovered his love of music and what helped launch his songwriting career.

SURFILMUSIC is also the name of his 2026 tour that will premiere on May 14, 2026, in Honolulu, Hawaii. On the tour, his documentary, a story session, and an acoustic performance will only be for the two dates in Hawaii, May 14 and 15, but the rest of the tour will continue through June and October and will support the soundtrack of the documentary. One song from the soundtrack, “Drink The Water” with Hermanos Gutiérrez, has recently been released on Spotify, with the rest of the soundtrack being released on May 15. 

After listening to this new song, I am definitely excited for the rest of the soundtrack’s release as well as the release of the documentary. A Jack Johnson summer is on its way, and the combination of surfing, film, and music is what is going to make it top anything else. 

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