Aloha!

Welcome to Surfdog, where we live and breathe our passion for music, in our tropical bungalows by the beach! Our company was established in 1985, (when Rambo, Magnum P.I., We Are the World, acid-washed jeans, day-glo outfits, and the Ford Pinto were all still raging)! It all started when Dave Kaplan opened the doors to the first pillar of our company with Dave Kaplan Management; soon thereafter came Surfdog Records, an indie record label, along with Surfdog Music Publishing & Licensing, Surfdog Entertainment Marketing and Surfdog’s Java Hut, all located in the slice of heaven called Encinitas, CA.

Our company’s deep love for music spans rock, rockabilly, big band swing, reggae, punk, folk, comedy and, in the early years, even a release of crazy cosmic galactic rock n' roll by the Venice Beach icon, roller-skating/turbaned Harry Perry! We are driven by real musicians/artists with passion and soul, regardless of musical style; it just needs to hit you in the heart, gut, head, or all three. But don’t let our casual, unassuming nature fool you. We are relentless in our pursuit of excellence for our artists and clients. And we release music we love and want to share with the world.

Surfdog has released over 70 albums by artists such as Brian Setzer, Stray Cats, Butthole Surfers, Slightly Stoopid, Dave Stewart, Richard Cheese, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Gary Hoey and many more. We have also released several soundtrack albums, including "The Endless Summer II" and "Step Into Liquid." Surfdog artists’ music has been prominently featured in movies (Mission Impossible, Monsters vs. Aliens, etc), TV shows (ER, Scrubs, etc), plus major national commercials (Ashton Kutcher’s Nikon, Hallmark, etc).

We are also very proud to be an ocean-conscious label and our three MOM: Music For Mother Ocean releases helped us contribute some of the largest donations in Surfrider Foundation's history. For the MOM albums, Surfdog assembled the biggest names in music, including Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Sublime, James Taylor, Rage Against the Machine, Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Buffett, No Doubt and many more, to gain worldwide attention for these classic CD's as well as for the protection and preservation of our planet's oceans.

Our classic Surfdog "stick-guy," along with our tropical, tiki-influenced office complex near the cliffs of the world-class reef break Swami's, help keep us sane and grounded in this wild ride called the entertainment business. Beware…if we're ever out at a board meeting and the surf is good, you’ll know what we’re really up to! And, if you’re ever in the San Diego area, come by to check out our local hang-out, Surfdog's Java Hut on Coast Highway 101, serving up killer smoothies, coffee, and grub!!