The Carousers are a punk trio hailing from Long Branch, NJ made up of Joey Affatato (vocals/guitar), Cassidy Crosby (bass/backing vocals), and Andy Jackle (drums). The band emerged in the spring of 2016 when college friends Joey and Andy recorded their first demo, “She’s The Devil'', assisted by Mikey Groch (of Trenton punk band The Cryptkeeper Five) on bass guitar. In need of a bassist for their first show, Cassidy filled in and shortly after became a permanent member afterwards. The Carousers have been a central NJ staple in the punk rock community for years and we caught up with them to talk about what inspires the band and what they are up to:
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
Andy: I pitched it to a former band mate long ago and he didn’t like it, so when that band broke up and I started a new one, I had a nice opportunity to recycle it.
Joey: We’re honored Andy recycled it for us - ha! The word “carouser” means to party and drink and to get rowdy. When we started the band back in college, we definitely fit this mold so it was kinda the perfect fit.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
Cass: I started taking classical piano lessons at 5 years old, started playing guitar at 9, and picked up the bass in high school. I played guitar in my high school band, and in college I joined The Carousers, my first band playing bass!
Joey: For me, it was my uncle who inspired me and really pushed me to play the guitar and write songs. We’d get together every weekend for years and he would teach me all he knew - it was really cool and I’m grateful to this day. Once I got decent, I started writing my own songs and eventually had my uncle’s band The Cryptkeeper Five back me in the studio for my first solo project The Ramparts Rebel. I’m really proud of it and it holds a special place in my heart. Besides that though, I’ve played solo for years before The Carousers and have also been an “occasional” sub in for TCK5 and another group called Argyle Goolsby & The Roving Midnight.
Andy: Jeez… honestly there’s way too many to count. I played in a band with my hometown buds back in high school called Yankee Blue Jeans. In college, I was in several bands besides The Carousers, including The Emily Youth Project, The Trusties, and Thanks Genie. Now, I also play in Smooch and with Rachel Ana Dobken. There are several more though from over the years.
First concert that you ever went to?
Joey: First local show was The Cryptkeeper Five. My first national act show was Green Day. Both really did it for me and opened my eyes up to music in general. I’m glad to have been introduced when I was!
Cass: My first concert was technically Hillary Duff, but shortly after was the Gin Blossoms, so I typically like to go with Gin Blossoms!
Joey: Yeah, Gin Blossoms are great. Cass and I got to see them years ago at the Wellmont Theater and met the singer! Super cool experience and the band put on an awesome show.
What's your writing process like?
Joey: I usually start out by writing songs on my acoustic guitar and then bring them to the band. Sometimes I demo them out very roughly in Garageband too in order to explain what I’m thinking for parts since I’m horrible with music terms haha… Occasionally though, like for “The Future”, we have very productive writing sessions and these come together at practice. It’s a lot of fun getting to experiment and see what happens!
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
Joey: I’ve been really into Weezer lately and I think that’s translated well into the band’s writing. Big guitars, catchy melodies, lots of harmonies. Their lyrics are a lot of fun too - a huge inspiration for “The Future” and the newer stuff we’ve been working on. The Menzingers are another one; our new music video drew influence from their video for “I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore”. We’re pretty proud of how it came out and hope others dig it too.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
Cass: I think something that’s pretty cool about our band is when we record our songs, we try and emulate the live experience by channeling the energy of a live show. I feel like putting that energy into recorded music really gives listeners a good idea of who we are as a band.
Andy: Yeah, Cass said it best. Obviously being a three piece, there are elements on our recordings that can’t always be replicated live, but the energy is always there and honestly I find that to be the most memorable anyway!
Has the band toured?
Joey: As a band, this will be our first “real” venture out of the state, so we’re all really stoked! I feel it’s safe to say our best shows have been house shows. There’s definitely a different vibe when we play them and we’re usually amongst friends, so it’s always a good time.
What's up next for the band?
Joey: We’ve been writing a lot, so it’s our hope to get into the studio by the fall/winter to record some new tunes. It’s also a goal for us to continue playing out of state with other cool bands, so we’re trying to make that happen too. All really exciting stuff - we can’t wait!