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About
Seth Kauffman wasn't going to make another Floating Action album. He'd been on a rampage, releasing a new album every year since 2015. Then after Covid-19 hit, was fresh off making the ultra-inspired Dream Sitch collaboration with Michael Nau. Covid had caused Kauffman's music career (touring with Jim James, Ray Lamontagne, Dylan LeBlanc, and studio work with Dan Auerbach, Lana Del Rey, Basia Bulat, and countless others) - to immediately grind to a halt. Gone. Done. No choice but to take up work as a handyman, scrambling to provide for his family.
But then, in October of 2020, while camping with his 5 year old daughter, tons of song ideas suddenly came to Kauffman. He voice memo'd them, and within a week or two, enough ideas had materialized to make a whole new Floating Action album.
But a ridiculous 7 day a week work schedule left him no time to ever turn those ideas into proper songs...never a spare moment to work in his recording studio. Until in February 2021, he was finally able to carve out two weeks to work on what was to become 'Jinx Protecting'. This album marks the first time Kauffman co-wrote songs with anyone other than himself. Some lyrics were crafted by Michael Nau, and Kauffman's daughter Gretchen. Michael Nau and his wife and children sang on 'Steadfast Love', and Kings of Leon's Timothy Deaux co-wrote 'Wrong Place'.
Classic Floating Action philosophical lyrics on this album, but 'Jinx Protecting' shows a shift from pessimistic human nature-questioning, to only focusing on pure simple beauty. Nothing but positivity and love on this one.
Sonically thick and dripping with soul and fearless confidence, guided purely by the muse, 'Jinx Protecting' has the feel of a meditative Exile On Main Street recorded in a secret bunker in Jamaica. This seems like it will be the last Floating Action album ever, but who knows when the muse might strike again.
Press
"Seth Kauffman is the modern equivalent of Dick Van Dyke’s Bert character from Mary Poppins, swapping the fake cockney accent for a humble North Carolina bro drawl. He’s a one-man band, a magical jack-of-all-trades who can whisk the listener off to various worlds filled with weird African rhythms, sunny dub, jangly tremolo guitar sounds, ribbon synths, and probably even dancing cartoon penguins."
-Pat McGuire, FLOOD
"Imagine if The Soft Bulletin-era Flaming Lips were influenced as much by pop and soul as by psychedelia. Imagine, too, that they adopted a more intimate, less expansive production aesthetic. The results might sound a bit like Is it Exquisite?, the fifth album from Black Mountain-based Floating Action."
-Bill Kopp, Mountain Xpress
"The album [Body Questions] features the usual Kauffman hallmarks: rump-shaking bottom end, blown-out back-beats, Jazzmaster-via-Silvertone fuzz, soulful harmonies and laconic vocals — all galvanized around addictive melodies and nearly hymnal choruses."
-John Schacht, Creative Loafing
"It’s been a few years since Floating Action released the criminally underrated debut album Floating Action, but Seth Kaufman, the one man band, is back with Desert Etiquette...I could go on for days about how great Floating Action is..."
-Erik Burg, Beats Per Minute
"Kauffman knows how to write, he's a good (if not flawless) hand with various instruments, he has a real knack for working in the studio, and his voice sounds modest yet quietly confident at the same time; if you're going to get your nerdy groove on, Seth Kauffman is the guy to do it with, and Floating Action's Body Questions is an ideal soundtrack for the thinking person's quiet storm."
-Mark Deming, All Music Guide
Highlights
Jinx Protecting featured as one of Wilco's Favorite Albums of 2021
Released new album Jinx Protecting in October 2021 on PIAPTK
Floating Action has released 12 albums
Jim James and Dan Auerbach are big fans of Seth and often call on him when they produce records.
Toured as a member of Jim James, Ray Lamontagne, Michael Nau, Generationals, Shannon Whitworth, Dylan LeBlanc, playing festivals including Bonnaroo, Monterey Pop Fest, Outside Lands.
Floating Action has toured with Dr. Dog, My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses, and Rogue Wave and have also shared the stage with Hop Along, The Rock A Teens, Bombadil, Frontier Ruckus,Tyler Ramsey and Acid Mothers Temple.
Floating Action has performed at Hangout Fest, Huichica, Forecastle, SXSW, Secret Stages, and Hopscotch
Seth Kauffman recorded on #1 Billboard records by Lana Del Rey and Ray Lamontagne.
Kauffman has been a studio musician with Angel Olsen, Daniel Martin Moore, and Basia Bulat.
