The Cold Seas

Originating in Asbury Park, New Jersey—the birthplace of Bruce Springsteen—the Cold Seas formed chiefly around guitarist, vocalist, and lead songwriter Chad Sabo. Working alone at first, he uploaded his folky demos to Facebook and SoundCloud. An acquaintance brought the material to Roc Nation’s notice, prompting the company to offer Sabo a publishing contract in 2014 and to place one of his compositions, “Never Ending,” on Rihanna’s album Anti, which Sabo produced. He next gathered a band from musicians he knew through local shows: guitarist Erik Rudic, bassist Matt Castoral, and drummer Nash Breen. Now called the Cold Seas, the quartet made their live debut at Asbury Park’s Wunderbar in December 2014. The following year they issued their first EP, Afterglow—three spacy, somewhat psychedelic indie-rock tracks carrying a vaguely retro feel. After touring with fellow Jerseyites Armor for Sleep, the group released its debut single, “Catacombs,” early in 2017, signaling a turn toward a more synthetic, synth-heavy sound.