Behind the Lens of Jacob Rubeck: Touring with Surf Curse and His Upcoming Project 'Casino Hearts'

Musician Jacob Rubeck of rock band Surf Curse is no stranger to analogue photography, with one of his first film cameras being a Lomography Fisheye.

Fast forward to today, Jacob still embraces his Lomographic side and is here with us today to share documentations of Surf Curse's last tour shot on an array of our film stocks as well as talk about his current project, Casino Hearts.

You can check out Casino Hearts' first single In & Out of Time on July 9th and the full EP Lose Your Halo on August 2nd.

Hi Jacob, welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you start off by telling us a bit about yourself and your music?

Thanks for talking with me! My name is Jacob Rubeck and I play in a band called Surf Curse.

I’ve been doing that with one of my best friends for over 10 years. I also have two other projects called Casino Hearts and Gap Girls.

How did you get introduced to film photography?

My grandma used to bring her polaroid camera with her everywhere she went. They were always sweet photos and they were fun to look back on as the years went by.

I think it’s an important act as a human to capture moments with people. Archiving ourselves is a wonderful way of remembering and existing.

Can you tell us a bit about why you chose to shoot film as opposed to digital for your last tour with Surf Curse?

I just love point-and-shoots because I want to capture the spontaneity at that one moment in time. I’m not too knowledgeable about digital camera world but it’s never been that appealing.

Film is always an experience. Going to get your film developed and having that exchange pays off as a human interaction.

How do you choose which moments or scenes to capture on film?

When you really fall in love with someone in that moment, that’s when you take the photo.

Do you have an all time favorite shot taken on Lomography film from your tour? Is there a story behind it?

I love all the photos I took in Zurich. The venue we were playing at had this insane "80s Miami cocaine" vibe so I was taking photos of everyone behind the dj booth they had in the green room.

Nick put on this leather outfit he had just bought so he could get into the clubs in Berlin later on the tour. I’m thankful I get to capture fun moments like that.

Does your music influence your photography at all? Why or why not?

I generally use it as a tool to capture special moments during recording and on tour. If we had a photographer, I might not be taking as many photos!

If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice regarding your career, what would it be?

“Get better at reading dumbass!”

Can you fill our community in on your new project, Casino Hearts?

Casino Hearts started off as my solo project living in Reno, NV. My bandmate Nick Minor had been in it since day 1 and we added a very dear friend of mine 435T (Forest) to the group.

They’re both such creative people I love working with and we’re hopping around different genres and musical ventures.

Do you feel as though your interest in film photography has or will influence Casino Hearts at all?

It’s crazy because I recently met someone at a camera store who told me to get the Lomo'Instant Camera and I really really dig it. We actually used the photos for the new Casino Hearts EP cover.

Anything else you'd like to share with our community?

When I was a kid my first camera that I loved was the Lomography Fisheye. Then I got the Holga, which I adored, but the only place in Vegas I could get that film developed was really expensive as a teen.

Lomo's cameras and film have always been a part of my life so I just want to thank you and the community for the years of fun.

If you're interested in keeping up with Jacob and his work, make sure to check out his Instagram and the Casino Hearts Linktree. You can also find the music video for In & Out of Time here.

written by eloffreno on 2024-07-16 #gear #culture #people #music #nyc #rock-band #indie-rock #tour-diary