Reminiscent of artists such as Ty Segal and Bass Drum of Death, one could say Oceaneater has taken the the training wheels off rock and roll with his first single “Strike Twice”. It pounds through it’s chord changes and chanty, slightly discordant melodies with a nonchalance that both feels genuine and refreshingly not-overworked. In a world where little rocker boys overthink everything they do from their hair cuts to their latest instagram post, Oceaneater puts his sound through it’s paces before most artists can figure out which hashtag to use or the best angle for their next story update. 

In 2016 Timothy Kelley, the braintrust behind Oceaneater, decided to leave his flourishing career as a fine dining chef working in the kitchens of industry stalwarts such as Per Se in NYC and Providence in LA and reconnect with his southern roots in Atlanta, Ga. Once there he transitioned his creative mojo out of the kitchens of the Creme de la creme and re-channel it into the lowbrow world of dive bar friendly garage rock. Kelley straight away began to craft what would become “Strike Twice” and several other forthcoming singles, eventually teaming up with writer/producer Evan Andree (member of TRASHCLUB and collaborator with the likes of Vintage Culture, Gigi Rich, Kyle Lucas, etc.) to help round out the tracks. 

Oceaneater brings a freshness to the genres of surf and garage rock. A decidedly southern essence permeates this traditionally west coast sound, verging on the point of country a la Johnny Cash and Dr. Hook. While purposely not re-inventing the wheel (honestly the more you over think rock and roll, generally the worse it is) he does seamless mesh his own origin and upbringing into a style of music that’s never quite seen such a pairing. 

“Strike Twice” hits hard, hits fast, and leaves you wanting more. With it Oceaneater deliver’s his preliminary work, ushering us into an irreverent piece of art that doesn’t take it’s self quite that seriously, and we can’t wait to hear what else he has to say.