Being As An Ocean is the sound of the push and pull of circumstance versus ambition; of facts and figures overwhelmed by vibe and mystery. It’s a sonic landscape littered with stories of strength from weakness and the beauty in tragedy. Their songs are immediately visceral, infused with deeper components to discover and unravel.
Since they first emerged from the mountainous areas of San Diego County, the band have fashioned an immersive experience with every performance, wrenching catharsis from post-hardcore punch and ambient excursions. It’s an approach that commands a crowd from the massive festival stages; co-headlining with Counterparts; headlining Europe’s Impericon Never Say Die!
Across five full-lengths they remain focused on provoking thought and discussion, right down to their album titles. They touched on Old Testament tradition with Dear G-d (2012), drew upon the poet Rainer Maria Rilke for How We Both Wondrously Perish (2014), returned to the Gandhi quote behind their moniker for Being As An Ocean (2015). They braved their creative and career fate with the self-released Waiting for Morning to Come (2017). PROXY: An A.N.I.M.O. Story (2019) careens between rousing anthems and philosophical wonderment, packing the personal and thematic punch singer Joel Quartuccio has made his calling card, while indulging a new collaborative process miles evolved from BAAO’s start.