Afloat Didn’t Wait for a Scene: They Built One
Photography by Morgan Kelley
In South Jersey’s DIY emo circles, Afloat is doing more than making music. They’re building infrastructure, holding space, and proving that the loudest statement doesn’t have to be shouted.
Most bands just want to be heard. Afloat wanted to make room. Since forming in 2018, the South Jersey emo duo of Gabby Relos and Josh Rubeo has done more than write gut-punch songs. They’ve built an entire ecosystem around their values. The music matters, of course. But what truly defines Afloat is what surrounds it: the community, the structure, and the refusal to gatekeep.
At the center of that work is the Head Above Water Collective, known as HAWC: part DIY label, part show promoter, part support network. It emerged naturally, but maintaining it requires intention and endurance. Gabby is quick to point out she’s not doing it alone. HAWC is run with the help of close friends and her partner, who help keep the shows and structure afloat. Before Where I Stand was released, Afloat was juggling major internal changes and the pressure of timelines. Gabby recalls, “we were going through a lot of changes as a band and had to really get everything together to keep a timeline which was extremely stressful,” with Josh adding, “keeping everything moving while navigating interpersonal relationships within the band is a balance that isn’t easily obtained.”
That kind of behind-the-scenes labor isn’t always visible, but it adds up. In the early days of HAWC, Gabby was booking shows nearly every weekend, often handling sound and door duties herself. “I think the hardest part is saying no to things,” she admits. “I was doing shows like every weekend the first year and a half which was really fun but I was so burnt out. It came to a point where I had to book so far in advance for Afloat stuff because I was running all the HAWC shows, whether it was doing sound or door I had to be there.”
Still, HAWC embodies the same values that shape Afloat as a band: intentionality, self-reliance, and a belief that scenes don’t just appear. They’re built deliberately, piece by piece. As Gabby puts it, "I don’t think it changed what I expect from my own band, it just made me love the community we’re in even more. Also just makes us more realize everyone is more connected than we think, people in bands, businesses, etc."
That sense of care and clarity carries into the music. Afloat’s 2023 EP, Where I Stand, wasn’t meant to chase buzz. It was shaped through a more deliberate, curatorial process than anything they’d done before. Josh explains, “This was the project where we really took curating songs seriously. Up until this release we would write a song and that would basically be the end of it. This time we explored multiple demos of the songs, experimented with how the project flowed from song to song, and took time writing each part of the song. We really trimmed the fat during those writing and planning phases to curate something we felt was a cohesive project.”
Originally, it was going to be a full album. “We had about 10 songs ready and then we picked from the 10 the best 6 songs,” Gabby says. “It was kind of hard choosing but I am so happy with the 6 we chose. Where I Stand checks all the boxes for me emotionally and instruments just hit harder."
Earlier Afloat releases were intentionally rough, built on urgency and instinct. That raw energy hasn’t disappeared. Even though Afloat spends months in the demo phase, working through alternate versions, adjusting tempos, and carefully sculpting dynamics, the immediacy and urgency of their sound remains intact.
That patience shows in the tension of tracks like “On Me,” which never fully explodes but carries a coiled intensity. “I think the dynamics of the song came together naturally, which is in line with the theme of the song,” Josh says. During writing, they always like to ask if they can “get heavier”, a mindset that led to the track’s breakdown.
“Special,” released through HAWC in 2025, added another layer of meaning to their catalog. Gabby shared, “I feel like ‘Special’ gave more awareness that HAWC is more than booking and shows, so it feels more special to me.” She also sees it as an opportunity to work with more bands and expand their community’s reach.
The band’s creative rhythm reflects that same philosophy. Gabby and Josh operate as a duo in the studio, but when it comes to live performances, they bring in collaborators to help fill out their sound and elevate their arrangements. This flexibility allows them to stay true to their vision while continuously evolving. Their working relationship thrives on openness and mutual respect. As Josh puts it, “I am a big fan of just trying anything. I really think it is bad to turn down an idea just because you personally don’t like it… I also really want to support whatever the song calls for and if someone else hears something I want to hear it too.”
That balance, hard-won and often improvised, is what makes Afloat resonate. Where I Stand felt like both a reset and a reaffirmation, proof that Afloat could evolve without losing the clarity that’s defined them from the start. They never waited for a co-sign. They didn’t go viral or chase trends. They’re just writing what matters, building what was missing, and staying long enough to make it count.
In a scene full of noise, their clarity isn’t just heard: it’s felt. It’s in the rooms they help fill, the bands they support, and the songs that say exactly what they mean without ever needing to shout.