Afloat has spent the last several years carving out a place at the forefront of New Jersey’s thriving emo and indie rock scene. The South Jersey band recently joined Mint 400 Records and has continued to build momentum with a string of standout releases, including the singles “Go and Say It,” “Speaking Slow,” and “Knuckles.” Combining heartfelt lyricism, explosive dynamics, and a strong DIY ethos, the group has earned praise from outlets such as Under the Radar, WXPN, and Swim Into the Sound while developing a devoted following throughout the Northeast. As Afloat continues its upward trajectory, we spoke with the band about their latest music, their connection to the South Jersey scene, and the experiences that shape their emotionally resonant sound
Q: In your opinion, what are the essential qualities that make a “good songwriter”?
Josh - I think the ability to tell really great stories is a skill of a good songwriter. I have heard songs with nearly minimum instrumentation but the lyricism and emotional output of the vocals are breathtaking. I don’t think you need gear or a sound or anything like that to create a good song. I think good songs live on their own and more often than not they are a story or something the audience can relate to. While I really admire good instrumentation and abilities I think to get a really great product it starts with the content of the song and how it is portrayed.
Q: What is the basis for writing attention-grabbing music in this day and age?
Gabby - Sometimes I think it’s being painfully honest, talking about subjects that happen everyday but in great detail that people can really relate to.
Josh - I think really in your face, catchy hooks are the meta for songs recently. I think it is a byproduct of how content is consumed. Some of the most “popular” songs recently start off with a chorus/hook and might have a short verse followed by another hook. All the while it is just a banger of instrumentation behind it. Some of these songs are really short, like maybe 2 minutes. Nothing wrong with this, it does make for an exciting product and obviously people are into it.
Q: Can you pinpoint some specific songs and songwriters that changed the way you write music?
Gabby - For me it’s Leighton Antelman of the band Lydia. At the time when I discovered the band I was listening to a lot of post hardcore music and this band just had me hooked with their music and writing. I think hearing the album Illuminate made me kind of shift into a more descriptive approach to lyrics and music in general.
Josh - I am not sure I have any specific songs or artists in mind that consistently influence the way I write. A lot of the music I listen to will depend on my emotion for the day or that period of my life. I enjoy listening to a wide variety of genres, whatever fits my mood. I will try to incorporate anything I hear into my writing while doing that.
Q: Do you find it hard to be inspired by your peers? Can you name any new artists you find inspiring?
Gabby - I don’t find it hard to be inspired by my peers. I feel like we live in such a good area that there are so many new bands coming out of Philly and Jersey that are really cool.
Josh - Our scene is full of great artists and musicians and personalities that I think are very impressive. Elephant Jake is a band we have played with on a few occasions and I always thought they had great performances and songs. Another band we have played with a lot of New Vision. I think they have a great fresh sound in the genre they are in and everytime I have had friends at their shows they have been really into them.
Q: For your new album, what inspired the lyrical content, album title, and overall vibe?
Gabby - I think mental health played a huge inspo on the lyrics and vibe in general. I was just navigating through a bunch of life stuff and this project I feel like is a result of that.
Josh - Gabby for sure directed a lot of the lyrical and tonal concepts of this latest project. A lot of what she channeled were experiences she was having in her current life. I think a lot of these are feelings that everyone has experienced which makes for a really relatable project.
Q: Do you find that you ruminate over writing songs and hold on to them for a long time before including them on a record? Or do you prefer to write them, release them, and be done with them? Do you ever re-visit old material to do a re-write or once it’s done it’s done?
Josh - I really enjoy the meticulous process of writing, recording, trying new parts. I even think it is great to frankenstein songs or just completely revamp a chord progression, lyric, or riff. I think that is the best and most exciting way to experiment. It surely can cause some analysis paralysis but I like hearing what you can come up with. I think the most important thing is to surprise yourself which is a great way to be an audience to your own music which can be hard to do when you’ve heard the song 100 times. I know this might delay our process but I just personally enjoy really going through it to find what a song actually needs.
Q: Were there any lessons you learned in the writing and recording process for your current release that you will take with you into your next project?
Gabby - I think I learned to just go with it and have faith in your art. We recorded with Nick Starrantino again and he always makes the experience fun and it feels like friends just hanging out. I think going into the next recording I will remember just to follow through with your ideas and sometimes things don’t need to be changed, just created in the moment.
Josh - We always plan our projects the best we can. We try to stay on top of content or maintain a general sound production standard. With this planning it usually makes for a more consistent outcome which is something I think we see working for us. You can always learn through trial and error but nothing specifically stood out to me for this release compared to previous ones.
