Skip to main content[POST-GRUNGE] In a land where bands form, dissolve and change names with the tides, Floater is an anomaly: The Portland via Eugene moss-rockers have built an influential resume that runs well over a decade long, and there's no sign of a breakup in sight.
The secret to Floater's musical longevity seems to be in its willingness to change. The band's latest, Stone By Stone , for instance, showcases more pop-centric songwriting than fans from the long-haired olden days may be accustomed to. And though Floater found its roots among the Northwest's metal-minded grunge backlash, frontman Rob Wynia's vocals have transcended echo effects of old, and the band has outgrown much of its chugga-chugga sound. Despite the band's ever-changing face, though, notoriously rabid Floater fans (their devotion is near-Deadhead/Juggalo caliber) are rolling with the new—which includes the occasional unplugged show and a clean-cut new look.
Floater never received the media attention of blow-up bands like the Dandy Warhols or fallen compatriots the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, but the fact that they've remained a force is a testament to the band's legend. And if the trio continues on its current trajectory of open-minded disregard for the conventions of its former genre, the Northwest press may face a day of reckoning: Floater's best work is likely still to come.
WWeek 2015