Tarmac Adam 'Adam' – the first man, the Everyman – on life's journey, a journey we all travel. Just like the rear vision mirror on the cover, where we are and where we’re headed is defined by where we’ve been. That’s The History Effect." Following the release of "The History Effect", O’Donnell, Paix and Barber toured the US as a three-piece, to promote the new material with an itinerary that included a national TV appearance, various radio interviews and live performances. Tarmac Adam also produced video clips for the songs "You As Me", "Giving It Back" and "Chalk On Slate" in 2013.
The Fine Art of Surfacing around America leading up to "The Fine Art of Surfacing", drumming up publicity for the band in the States. During this time the Rats learned much about both American life and breaking into the American music market. This is a recurring theme on the album, sometimes taking a serious approach in looking at American society, in songs like "I Don't Like Mondays" and "Diamond Smiles," while other times looking at it in a downright silly and mocking manner in songs like "Nothing Happened Today" and "Having My Picture Taken," the album takes aim at 1979 life in classic punk style.