One of the first acts of the 2025 Sea.Hear.Now music festival featured NOT YER BABY: an Asbury Park-based punk band that set the tone of the weekend from their first song. Playing with a line-up of similar musical acts such as Hot Mulligan and Blink-182, NOT YER BABY proved that Asbury Park is and forever will be the birthplace of some of the greatest musical acts in the industry. NOT YER BABY, led by Carrot Volz, hyped up early festival goers with her electrifying set and undeniable stage presence.
How are you feeling being here at Sea.Hear.Now, and being on the lineup this year?
Carrot: This is so fun. This is my first Sea.Hear.Now, and I am so lucky and grateful. I worked security in 2018, I think it was the first year, and I actually posted, as a joke, “Come see my band in 5 minutes” on Instagram. Now I’ve done that.
Has Asbury Park impacted your sound at all?
Carrot: My very first Warped Tour was actually in Asbury Park. I was like 12 or 13; I have been coming here since I was little. I would come here when I really wasn’t allowed to. There were always punk shows happening here. I always loved this place because it was the ass-opposite of Point Pleasant [where I am from], and I just love the history and the buildings. I always loved Asbury. I hope it always stays artsy.
How do you feel your set went yesterday?
Carrot: I was so scared. It was definitely the biggest stage we ever played, and, I think, the biggest crowd we ever had. [My friend] Sarah lent me her in-ears, which, for any singers out there, are a game-changer. That was my first time ever playing a show with in-ears. Being able to hear yourself is really cool, and I had a wireless microphone for the first time, so I was doing lots of spins. A lot of our friends were there as well, and it was just so fun.
Who are some of your favorite acts you have seen, and if you could perform with any of them, who would it be?
Carrot: We just saw Mannequin Pussy. I just remember seeing them on smaller bills on Philly shows and saying, “This name is fucking amazing.” I love them so much. To play with them would be amazing, and seeing them today made me very winded.
Our publication focuses mostly on underground artists, so we were wondering if you have any advice for these up-and-coming artists?
Carrot: Just keep doing it because you love to do it. I doubt myself all the time, but you have to remember the core of it and why you are doing this. I also love seeing other bands perform. I think that’s why we have such a great community, because we are always booking shows and helping each other out, recommending and building bills, so I think that helps for sure for other people doing that for me, and I do that for others. Just be a part of that and don’t ever stop, don’t feel defeated. Remember why you are doing it and why you started.
Do you have anything else you want to promote in the interview?
Carrot: We just put out a song two days ago. [Nicholas Wolf] filmed me riding my bicycle and screaming; it was really fun. The song is called “Emergency Contact,” and it’s out right now. It’s one of my favorite songs, so go check it out.
Image courtesy of Michael Kravetsky/Sea.Hear.Now | Interviewed on September 14, 2025
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