Wavves is an American rock band based in San Diego, California. Formed in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams (born June 12, 1986), the band also features Alex Gates (guitar, backing vocals), Stephen Pope (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Ross Traver (drums and backing vocals).

Wavves started in 2008 as the recording project of Nathan Williams. Wavves released several 7"s as well as a cassette leading up to the first release, Wavves. After gaining recognition, Ryan Ulsh was enlisted as a touring drummer and Wavves embarked on their first US and European tours. Wavves released their self-titled debut album in 2008, subsequently drawing the attention of Pitchfork Media. At the time, the band consisted of Williams on guitar and vocals and Ulsh on drums. Their second full-length album, Wavvves, was released on February 3, 2009, and was well received by outlets like Spin, The A.V. Club, and Pitchfork.

Singer Nathan Williams experienced a public breakdown as the band was unable to complete their set at the 2009 Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. Williams, who admitted he had taken a cocktail of ecstasy and Valium, fought with drummer Ryan Ulsh and insulted the Spanish crowd, who then pelted him with bottles. Apologizing for their performance, Williams admitted the next day that he was addicted to alcohol. As a result, the band cancelled the remainder of their European tour.

After these events, Ulsh quit the band, and Zach Hill replaced him as the drummer of Wavves for the period of mid-late 2009. They would intensely collaborate in this short time, and an entire album's worth of material was recorded, although Williams commented he was not sure if it would be released under Wavves. "Cool Jumper" was the sole single released promoting the album. Williams reported that the album was to be expected towards the end of 2010, but this never materialised. In 2011 Hill commented that the full album had still not been released, and more tracks were self-released by Williams throughout 2011. After 14 years, the album, Babes, was released in full on William's Patreon in late 2023.

Two members formerly of the late Jay Reatard's band, drummer Billy Hayes and bassist Stephen Pope, joined Wavves in November 2009, and they would assist Williams on recording his new album after the tumultuous events earlier in the year. The third Wavves album, titled King of the Beach, was released on August 3, 2010, by Fat Possum Records. It featured the new lineup of Nathan Williams, Billy Hayes, and Stephen Pope. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Dennis Herring at Sweet Tea in Mississippi, the album received generally positive reviews from the likes of Paste Magazine, Dusted Magazine, and The Onion's A.V. Club. The album received an average of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 26 critics reviews. The album was named the 24th-best album of the year by Spin, and the 50th best album of the year by Pitchfork. The group's single "Post Acid" was featured in a 3-minute and fifty second promotional cartoon called: "Scott Pilgrim vs. the Animation"

Wavves released a new EP, Life Sux, in September 2011. It consisted of eight tracks, including cameos from Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno from Best Coast, as well as Damian Abraham from Fucked Up. The album also contains a live track "In the Sand". Billy Hayes left Wavves in November 2010 and was replaced by Jacob Cooper, formerly of The Mae Shi. This is the first album the band had released on its own label, Ghost Ramp.

In 2011, Wavves made a guest appearance in the short-lived MTV animated series, Good Vibes, performing their songs "King of the Beach," "Bug," and "I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl".

Wavves appeared on Big Boi's Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, on the song "Shoes for Running," which was released December 11, 2012.