But for Dayton band the Bruins — a group that’s been pulling from jazz, soul, and pop influences since 2023 — yacht rock is hardly a Scarlet Letter, rather a badge of honor that passes the good vibes check.
What began as keyboardist Gabe Maas’ bedroom pop/hip-hop solo act evolved into Gabe Maas & the Bruins, and now sails confidently as the Bruins, a modern yacht rock band.
“Yacht” is a loose term — equal parts conventional and niche, evolved yet familiar and genre-bending. While the Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan (to Donald Fagen’s chagrin), and Toto anchor its origins, yacht’s acolytes Still Woozy, Remi Wolf, and the Bruins keep the vibe afloat.
But for the Bruins’ definition of yacht, Maas describes it as “music that is kind of laid back, with simple drum grooves that have a nice deep pocket that you can weave things in. Even the intense songs just get the head bobbing. That’s really all it’s there for.”
Maas, bassist Austin Labig, drummer David Sink, guitarist Alex Dahle, and saxophonist Jay Baldwin make up the Bruins. The five of them will get your head bobbing.
The band’s latest single, “Honeymoon Phase,” out May 22, marks a move toward a cleaner production, too. Labig is behind engineering the song at Huge Face Productions in Dayton Sound Studios, “Honeymoon Phase” has bass, drums, and keyboards leading the charge, but with a sparsity that leaves room for the track and soulful vocals to breathe. It’s a modern, yet vintage sound.
“We definitely have been trying to up the game a little bit. The artists we look up to and the productions we get a lot of inspiration from are very nice and clean and tidy,” said Labig, who’s been producing full time for the past three years. “I can put drums in the booth if I want them a little smaller. I can put 30 mics on. If I want them bigger, I put them in the big room. I can use different drums.”
With a personal studio at Dayton Sound Studios since January, the Bruins have shed their bedroom pop constraints — now stripped-down by choice, not necessity. The band can experiment and find the tones that it’s trying to capture, which are, more often than not, laid back and something you can listen to on a big boat.
In the current climate, “Honeymoon Phase” could be read as a sort of political statement, though Maas says that reading is a little out of left field. In fact, it’s actually as straightforward as the lyrics suggest: “We gotta see this, we gotta see this through / Cause I’m in love with you.” It’s about the honeymoon phase of the frontman’s current relationship.
“I’ve fallen in love,” Maas said, “and I’m really just trying to hold onto the good times and not get caught up in anything outside of that, because nothing else really matters.”
An official lyric video for “Honeymoon Phase” also dropped on the single’s release day, featuring static black and white footage of the band writing and recording final takes in the studio. The band will release a smattering of singles throughout 2025.
The Bruins pull from sounds both chic and niche. But whichever direction they drift, they always land on a big boat.
I’m also reassured by Gabe Maas that if the Bruins is referred to as yacht rock, he’s “not gonna be upset.”
So let the record show: Dayton’s the Bruins is proudly yacht rock. The label floats, and no one is going overboard because of it.
Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
What: Bear the Moon / The Bruins / Wreck League
When: 7 p.m. June 21
Where: Oregon Express, 336 E. 5th St., Dayton
Cost: $10
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