“Surfing for Daisy, local heroes!” Danny Clinch, the festivals founder, shouted to the eager morning crowd. Kicking off Sunday’s Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, the band Surfing for Daisy delivered a warm dose of folk-rock to a lineup otherwise dominated by heavier sounds. During their performance, the Asbury Park band proved that the coveted opening slot at the festival was not just handed to any act.
Surfing for Daisy consists of Steven Filippone on drums/percussion, Nick Francis on acoustic guitar/ vocals, Mike Bernabei on electric guitar, Cam Seidel on bass, Dan DiSantis on electric guitar/backup vocals, and Katie McCarty on keys/backup vocals. The band released their debut album in January 2025 and brought a mix of album singles and new music to the festival’s Park Stage. With their tight musicianship and passion for the craft, the energy they put out was instantly mirrored back by the crowd. Their 45-minute set was anything but ordinary, and Surfing for Daisy is clearly on the path to major opportunities.
How are you feeling being here at Sea Hear Now and on the lineup this year?
Steven: We are unbelievably excited. We can’t even put it into words. It’s crazy.
Nick: I would say [being able to perform here] is a culmination of a lot of hard work in a very short period of time. It’s an honor for us to be able to do this as quickly as we have.
Steven: We are super, super proud. We did the pre-show last year and the afterparty the year before. We have only been a band for about two and half years so to get on really quickly is super freaking cool.
So being from around here, how does it feel having the festival in Asbury Park and do you feel as if you have any sort of home-team advantage compared to some of these other acts?
Nick: Definitely some home team advantage. What we have done well as a band is we have built a really, really good fan base here in town. Well, we have really built a community here in town with people who work here or happen to love us because we are local. We have made a lot of friends here that have come out an supported us in so many ways, and that probably gives us a home advantage for sure.
Steven: We can literally walk here. I work at Porta so my car is parked out there.
Nick: I think we all feel very intimate about playing this because we are here all the time. We built the band from scratch on a porch like two feet down the street.
Cameron: In many ways it just feels like this is the porch but a lot bigger obviously. We are very excited, very honored. This town supports us.
Steven: It just makes it that much more special. It’s crazy.
So how are you preparing for this set versus a solo show?
Katie: I think it helped us that we played a couple of shows in New York back in August. They were a bit bigger than we were used to so they definitely helped us out a lot.
Steven: It was good practice for sure. But really it’s the same thing: just do our thing no matter what the stage size is. If we are on the porch or the Park Stage or if we are at The Stone Pony, we are going to lay it all on the line on stage. Same as always, business as usual.
Cameron: Play, have fun, put your heart in it.
Nick: The fans we have here in town are easing my nervousness because I know when I look out into the crowd, I’m going to know a lot of people. We always say we are nervous before a gig. Then we get on stage and play one song, and then we just go crazy. We release all of our emotions and energy, and we don’t let the nerves effect us.
Steven: The nerves are a good thing.
Nick: It means you care.
What can fans expect tomorrow for the set?
Cameron: One of the greatest rock and roll shows for at least the weekend and an unimaginable amount of energy. We also have a great setlist. We really curated it well for the show. [We will be playing] a couple new unreleased songs that are in the process of being recorded or about to be recorded.
Steven: We are going to play one that will be released in November, that will be the next one coming out, and then a lot of songs off of our debut album.
How has Asbury Park inspired you guys as artists and being here today?
Nick: I know it is so cliche to say, but I always think of Bruce Springsteen coming here and paving his way. Regardless of whether or not you like him, this place at his time was truly a ghost town and what has become of it now over the years has been just a really beautiful place that artists can come and be able to express themselves, meet a lot of people, and make connections. I think all of us trying to build a band in Asbury Park is extremely special, and I always think back on The Stone Pony and The Wonder Bar and all the artists that have come before us and have come through there. To follow their footsteps in some way is just very special.
Steven: Me and Dan have been playing in bands in this town since we were 15 years old, so it’s just a full circle.
Nick: There is no judgement here at all.
Steven: It’s a great community, especially the music community.
What are your guys’ favorite acts coming up or you have seen so far at the festival? Also, if you could hypothetically perform with any of them one day, who would it be?
Nick: Well, Inhaler that just played. I have been fans of them since 2019. Also, TV On The Radio. I have been gushing about them for as long as I’ve known them, so I really want to see them.
Katie: Neal Francis for me. Unfortunately, we are going to miss the set because it is right after ours.
Cameron: Despite how Surfing for Daisy sounds, Hot Muligan and Blink 182.
Steven: Definitely Alabama Shakes.
Nick: They are having a lot of young bands that are just starting out, too, in this lineup, which I really love.
At The Underground Edit, we focus on up-and-coming artists, so we were wondering if you have any advice for these individuals that dream of performing at a festival like this?
Steven: Just owning your craft and just going for it. Just do it and play your heart out.
Nick: When you are starting a band, maybe for, say, in Asbury Park, don’t overplay in one area. You want to have people yearn for you. The number one thing is you have to build a community around what you are doing. If you can’t build a community and make fans that are actually going to come to see you… that is the most important thing that we have. Also, making them yearn to hear you play after so don’t over play to much in the area.
Steven: And I think when you are first starting, play as much as you can so you can build that community.
Cameron: And when you get into the places, be respectuful to the venue, be respectful to the sound guy, make friends, show up on time, be professional. I think a lot of people miss that.
Dan: Don’t let ego take over, especially early on.
Steven: Make connections and treat people how you would want to be treated.
Cameron: Showing up is half the battle. Be someone people want to be around… and write really good songs.
So that was our last question. Would you like to add anything else for the interview?
Steven: Upcoming, we got the single coming out in November. We are working on our second album that we are hoping to get out next summer, and we will be releasing singles all the way up until then. We are going to play The Stone Pony on November 15. It’s not announced yet; we are announcing that on Tuesday.
Photo taken by Taylor Memoli | Interviewed on September 13, 2025
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