The pairing of Borderline and Oceanic at Songbyrd in D.C. felt natural from the start. Their music overlaps in tone and spirit in a way that made Borderline the perfect sonic match to support Oceanic on their North American tour. Walking past Byrdland Records, just a five-minute walk away from the venue, the love for music was already whirling in the air.
Songbyrd is a small, intimate venue that melts the line between artist and fan. As I stepped inside — with the dim, blue-tinted lighting and “Tears” by Sabrina Carpenter playing on the speakers — any worries about life outside dissolved into thin air. While my friends and I danced to the pre-show playlist, Oceanic’s bassist, Sam Goodwin, casually walked out to man the merch stand and chat with fans. There was no hesitation or awkwardness, just a room full of people who were connected by music.
As I began my interview with Oceanic out on the patio — an interaction that felt more like catching up with friends than anything formal — Borderline took the stage. Pulling the crowd in with shimmering cymbals and deep guitar riffs, they opened with “Terrify.” Their musical intuition translated effortlessly from recording to stage, especially in the way they incorporated instrumental transitions between songs, creating a spontaneous, almost improvisational feeling.
Matthew McFadden’s guitar work stood out immediately, particularly as they moved into “Heartbeat,” keeping the crowd engaged and on edge in the best way. The band’s love for ’80s funk came through in their cover of Prince’s “Kiss,” a choice that felt as fun for the band as it was for the audience. You could tell how much lead singer Ben Glanfield appreciates that era, fully indulging in its pop influence.
During “Watching It Burn,” bassist Max Harries brought out his surprise saxophone talent, and the crowd relished in his upbeat solo. One of the standout moments from their set came from their next cover. It began with just Glanfield and his acoustic guitar, teasing his vibrato-filled intro of “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé before pivoting — smirking back at Jackson Boswell as he settled onto his drums — into “No Diggity” by Blackstreet. The surprise was electric; my friends and I completely lost our minds. Harries and McFadden layered back in, making room again for McFadden to show off with a vertical guitar solo.
Borderline debuted “That Girl,” which was instantly infectious, especially with Boswell’s enthusiastic drumming. Closing with “When It’s Raining,” they left the crowd itching for more music. Sitting on the stage and looking at the vibrant, pixelated screen behind them, Borderline presented their upcoming debut album tracklist like kids in a classroom.
It was time for the main act. Oceanic wasted no time opening with “Fooled By You,” immediately sparking movement. Each member owned the stage, blending musical maturity with a fun-loving youthfulness. The fun on stage was magnetic as Nate Wyatt (lead singer) and Jacob Johnson (lead guitarist) swung their guitars behind their backs to play each others’ instrument during “Year in the Sun.”
They then let the crowd choose a cover based on their cheers, either a song from The 1975 or Kings of Leon. Landing on The 1975, the band kicked off their cover of “Love Me.” Despite me and my friends cheering for Kings of Leon, it was hard not to admit that “Love Me” was the perfect pop song for Oceanic to sing. Between songs, Wyatt led the audience in some breathing exercises — breathing out the mantra, “I am not chopped, I am not unc” — a hilarious and oddly unifying moment.
“No, Human” brought a heavier, rock-driven energy, while “Oh No” showcased Wyatt’s playful stage presence, tongue out and laughing between lines. “Hold Me” fused techno beats with Goodwin’s smooth harmonies, highlighting Wyatt’s ability to shift from gritty rock vocals to falsetto seamlessly.
Then the show turned into something else entirely — a party on the loose. Wii Bowling appeared on the screen, the Borderline boys joined them on stage and an unreleased track (“Guitar I Like”) became the soundtrack to the chaos. As Oceanic’s creative director, Daniel, made a strike, it felt less like a concert and more like a college party everyone was invited to.
“Wash Away” pulled the crowd inward again, allowing the emotion to flow from the band into everyone in the audience, creating a special sense of connection. Exploding with grunge intensity, Wyatt dragged a light tube across the stage as he belted out “Way Out,” while both Goodwin and Johnson shamelessly bounced on the stage as they proved just how integral their energies and instrumental skills are.
By the time Oceanic reached the finale of “I’m Your Boy,” every note and every moment was fully lived in. Harries from Borderline returned for a saxophone finale, with Johnson kneeled with him playing his guitar and sharing the moment. The friendship and passion between each member of each band lit up the entire show. At the end of the concert, it wasn’t just the music that stuck with me, it was the bond and camaraderie found through it.
★ INTERVIEW ★
CRAVE: I am here with the fabulous band, Oceanic. If you guys don’t mind just going down the line saying your names and your roles in the band.
SAM: I’m Sam, I play bass.
JACOB: I’m Jacob, I play guitar.
AUSTIN: I’m Austin, I play drums.
NATE: I’m Nate and I sing, and maybe Dan will come out here at some point. That’s Daniel, our Creative Director.
CRAVE: So, you guys have been touring your North American tour since the beginning of April. Have there been any especially memorable crowds or just moments in general that have really stuck with you guys?
JACOB: Chicago and New York.
NATE: And Vancouver, I would say. That was the first show outside of the U.S. and it was my birthday.
CRAVE: Oh awesome! So the bigger cities I’m sensing?
NATE: Yeah, a little bit. Chicago is just like, I think, a great music city. Everyone’s so nice, and then New York, it was like, the energy was so up. It felt like a hometown show where we knew everybody.
SAM: People were screaming, it was one of the loudest crowds we ever had.
NATE: But it was around random people, a lot of it.
JACOB: But also we had some family and friends there and just watching them watch that and get emotional, made us emotional.
SAM: Denver was also really cool. So we had sold out our very small venue in Denver. It was our first time there. Denver’s my hometown, so, really fun to have all the friends and family out. My 90-year-old grandpa came to the show. Shout out Jeff!
CRAVE: Okay, so speaking of your touring days, you guys have been on the road with the amazing indie-pop band Borderline. Have you guys had any moments where your styles, sets or maybe musical processes have influenced each other in any way?
JACOB: Oh, yeah.
NATE: I would say that, I mean, I don’t know what I’m gonna say. What am I gonna say? I think they’re just so good, and such wonderful people to be around that you can’t help but be inspired, you know?
SAM: We also, this is the last show that we have them, and just to give them a little surprise, we learned one of their songs in the van and played it for them during soundcheck.
CRAVE: Oh my god! What song?
NATE: It was “Watching It Burn.”
SAM: Which is our favorite one of theirs, and they just loved it. Because we just love their music, it’s just so awesome.
CRAVE: Speaking of the live music aspect, you guys have a few songs with really cathartic moments, like in “No, Human” and the ending of “Cry.” Are there certain songs that have that kind of emotional release when being played live specifically?
JACOB: Almost all of them.
NATE: I would say “I’m Your Boy,” one of our more recent songs is that way, but “No, Human” probably feels that way.
JACOB: In Oklahoma City, what you [Nate] said about “Wash Away” changed the song for me in a good way, in the way that I play it.
NATE: So, OKC is where I’m from originally. On our way to L.A. to play the first show with Borderline, we did my hometown, and then Sam’s hometown in Denver. It was really fun. All the people that grew up with me were there, and stuff like that. And a big part of my story is that my dad passed away when I was 16, and I think there’s probably something about that in every single song that I’ve written. There’s a lot of death, and a lot of life too, and love. You know, all of those things. So, that song, “Wash Away,” I was just like, it’s crazy to play this to a room of people that knew me and were with me supporting me when my dad actually passed in 2014. So, that was really beautiful.
JACOB: Watching the room shift when that happened, it was like, woah, this means a lot to this room right now.
CRAVE: Speaking of “Wash Away,” you guys just came out with a collaboration with Lady Die, who I’ve noticed you’ve [Nate] produced a little bit with. I was wondering if there’s any dream collaboration with any solo artist, any band, living or dead, who would it be?
NATE: I would say Hayley Williams on our song “Way Out.”
CRAVE: Funny you say that, do you guys know the band Nothing But Thieves?
NATE: Yes!
JACOB: I’ve heard of them, yeah.
CRAVE: I was thinking they would be really cool on your song “Way Out.”
NATE: Ooooh, true.
SAM: That’s a good shout, let’s ask them.
CRAVE: Write that down, write that down.
SAM: Yeah, for real. Get on Instagram DMs right now, we’ll reach out.
CRAVE: On the topic of your music, you guys blend indie with a lot of other genres as well. With “Way Out” there’s grunge rock, and then airy pop with “Year in the Sun.” Do you guys find more influences in older, retro music or are you guys finding yourselves more drawn to the newer music and the modern sounds?
NATE: I would say it’s probably both.
JACOB: I would say somewhere in between, kind of like the 2000s a little for me. If that’s modern or if that’s older, I don’t know.
SAM: Yeah, I mean, definitely all of us have influences from every era. We always try to, like, shift our sounds and incorporate as many elements as we can.
CRAVE: You definitely blend retro, groovy music with the modern synth energy.
NATE: I love a synthesizer. But me and Daniel [Creative Director], who’s here now by the way, we went to a 2hollis show together in Raleigh. It was so sick. But I also love, like, U2. It’s kind of all over the map.
CRAVE: Jumping back just a bit, your guys’ 2023 debut album, No, Human, marked a very big moment both professionally and, I’m sure, personally. How do you guys feel looking back on that album now? Do you find yourselves nitpicking it a little bit or does the pride grow within the years?
NATE: Well, we finished that album at the beginning of 2020, actually. So, it was already done at that point, and then it was COVID. No one was signing anybody, we couldn’t play shows. We decided to wait to put it out, and we did some EPs before. So, it’s quite old to us because we started writing some of the songs ten years ago, or nine, eight years, but I mean, I like it. I think there’s plenty of things that we talk about with it where, like, because it’s been long enough now that we’re a little more objective with it. There’s like, ok so we like these things about it, and then we want to move on from these things.
SAM: I can’t remember who said it, but a song is never really finished getting written. There’s a point where you decide, okay we’re gonna put it out. So there’s always gonna be some nitpicking or maybe we play it slightly different live than the recording.
JACOB: Like version seven out of 15 that ended up being released, but seven was probably better because of that one part.
SAM: Yeah, yeah. I will never regret anything we ever put out. It’s a part of our story.
JACOB: There’s an element of, when you release it, it’s not solely yours anymore. That allows me to sign it off.
CRAVE: Jumping forward a little, your most recent EP in 2025, Everything I Want, I Need, has a few singles in there, but it’s still eclectic while being cohesive. Every song is very distinct, but they all balance each other out very well. Do you guys have a certain process for deciding what songs go together, or what order the songs go in, for an EP or an album?
NATE: That’s a good question. It was a little hectic for that one. Hectic is a good word for that EP. We just chose what we thought were the best songs and then made it work. I’m glad you said that it’s cohesive because that’s hard to do with five songs, you know. I felt like if we could have 10 or 12 songs to weave the different sounds and the different things, and to paint a more full picture then maybe it would be a little less all over the map. I mean, our process is just talk about it forever.
SAM: We do a lot of talking.
CRAVE: That’s good though, and speaking of that, you guys have been playing together since 2016. That connection and collaboration is very much apparent both in and out of your music it seems. Do you guys think you understand each other more creatively now than you did in the beginning?
NATE: Oh, yeah.
SAM: For sure.
JACOB: We’ve grown creatively together, so we’ve helped form how each other is creative.
SAM: That’s one of the cool things about being in a band, and getting in a band when you turn 18 or 19 like we did. We became the musicians we are now together. We did all that alongside each other, shaping each other along the way. That dynamic creates something very interesting, and I understand them because I watched them become who they are today.
DANIEL: Also, a lot of the things you do in a band have nothing to do with music. The business side of things and then all the other things. Just learning about how each other thinks and operates in different scenarios also contributes to that.
CRAVE: I’ve noticed with your recent material, I get a sense of freeing exploration, whether that’s in the instrumentals, vocals, even production. I was wondering if that sense of freedom kind of reflects where you guys are creatively at the moment? Is there more or less pressure now that you have a lot of music under your belt?
SAM: That’s a good question.
JACOB: I think less at the moment, but that could switch probably anytime.
SAM: For the next project, we’re doing it self-produced for the most part, and in a way we’ve never really done before. We’ve always had a producer guiding us. So, in that way, yes it is more freeing because we kind of are in the driver’s seat a little bit more. I think we’re feeling that, trying to maybe get back to our roots a little bit and make it our own in a way we haven’t before.
CRAVE: That’s exciting! So, for your newer fans who have not yet had the pleasure of listening to Oceanic, what song would you guys start them off with to introduce them to your music?
JACOB: “I’m Your Boy.”
NATE: Yeah, I think so.
SAM: I think we can all pretty much agree on that one.
CRAVE: And why is that?
NATE: I think, of that EP and of our sound, just in general, it has the mix of poppiness and rockiness that we like. If you want a relatively full palate of what’s going on with our sound.
CRAVE: Alright and to conclude this lovely interview, if you guys could describe in one sentence the future of Oceanic, what would it be?
NATE: Shit, alright huddle up, huddle up.
SAM: Make all the money in the whole world.
NATE: Coldplay, money…
SAM: Friendship,
NATE: Internet, YouTube, what do you got?
SAM: Memes. As many memes as you can imagine.
NATE: Ok yeah, does that answer your question?
CRAVE: I’ll say yes! You heard it here first.
NATE: Well, you kind of fucked me there with that one.
JACOB: Human-centered music.
CRAVE: There we go. Thank you guys so much for sitting down and chatting with me, it’s been amazing!
SAM: Absolutely!
NATE: It’s been a pleasure. Thanks for hanging out with us!
