The New Jersey emo-rock group Afloat have released their first new single since 2021. The track “Mouth Shut” arrived July 7th to all streaming services, followed by a music video on July 21st. The group has shared that an EP titled Where I Stand is in the works, and will be releasing later this year.
Afloat has been active since 2018, with their self-titled EP being the group’s first public release. Since then, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Gabby Relos and bassist Josh Rubeo have spearheaded the project, dropping four singles and one EP prior to their newest track. The band has been in the studio since November of 2022 recording new material for their upcoming EP, which will be their first since 2019’s Never Me; Always You.
“Mouth Shut” takes on the familiar feeling of being somewhere you would rather not be, plus the pain of putting up with your decision to leave the house. The music video, directed by Bradley Visual Co., stars Afloat alongside fellow New Jersey band Tether’s lead singer Joshua Ganesh, who takes the role of a singer late to his own gig. In a panicked dash, Ganesh comedically struggles to find his way to the show as Afloat performs their new track. The video was filmed at Old Post in Merchantville, NJ on April 16th with help from the Head Above Water Collective, a live music organization in which Relos founded. Besides her aptly-named endeavors with Head Above Water Collective and Afloat, Relos is an active sound engineer who has worked out of Gradwell House studios in Haddon Heights, NJ.
As of now, an official date for Afloat’s upcoming EP has not been released. The band’s next show is on July 29th at The Grape Room in Manayunk, PA, where profits will be donated to NEXT Distro’s harm reduction services. On Aug. 20th, Head Above Water Collective will host their one-year anniversary show at Bonk’s Bar in Philly, featuring performances from Afloat, Dummy Pass, Tiny Voices, and more.
The music video for “Mouth Shut” is available now on Alfoat’s YouTube channel; watch it below. For more info on the band’s new EP and upcoming shows, follow them along with Head Above Water Collective on Instagram.