Other than a few backing vocals and a single bass guitar line, every moment on Floating Action’s self-titled debut release was performed by lyricist, musician, and producer, Seth Kauffman.  It’s 14 tracks of Kauffman-style vocals, keyboard, bass, drums, sitar, ethnic percussion, and guitar takes.  It may be DIY in spirit, but the end product is an expertly produced, charming mismatch of folk, Motown, Caribbean, roots, and indie rock.
Floating Action, in many ways more a pseudonym for Kauffman than an all out band, isn’t his first musical foray. He released a debut full length and EP under his own name in 2006, played with Band of Horses’ Tyler Ramsey both on his solo release and the subsequent tour, toured with Shannon Whitworth, and produced, recorded and wrote much of hailed tropicountry maven Courtney Jaye’s record Queen of Sabotage.  With Floating Action heating up (and based in Black Mountain), Kauffman’s on the move so while be sure to catch him while he’s in town, tomorrow night with his Floating Action bandmates helping The Tomahawks celebrate their record release at the Local 506 this Friday, October 15th.
And now the five hardest questions in faux business:
1. If your band were a sunken treasure, what would it be?
A perfectly preserved case of light-emitting caramel apples.
2. When did you start to think music might really work out as something more than a living room hobby?
I was living in a cabin in the San Gabriel mountains in California, around 2001; trying to make it happen with a band that didn’t happen (the Choosy Beggars).. As it was disintegrating, i contacted this bluesman Abe Reid in N.C., to try to play drums for him. He said ‘i’ll put you to work,’ so i moved back to N.C. and started gigging hard with him for a couple years.. that’s really when it kind of became established that music was what i was going to do.
3. Describe the pressures/pleasures of producing your own records.
Pressures: Tricking yourself into not thinking about what you’re thinking about, then thinking about what you’re not thinking about. Then having to switch back and forth between those when you’re not ready to.
Pleasures: Â No one knows your thoughts, not even yourself, at least while you’re tapping from the purest source. So if you do it right, you can eliminate the middle man and make leaps and bounds beyond conventional methods; losing very little original energy in translation.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
Paula Abdul’s ‘Shut Up and Dance’ remix album.  Maybe the best album of all time.  Marianne Faithfull.  Old Italian cars. Karl Barth. Surfing.  Baja Marimba Band.  Saabs.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
Never established that.. too busy snowboarding and skateboarding. Started to be a meteorologist for a second in college; then realized it’s all staring at a computer and hard math. I’m terrible at math. Sorry, Dad. (He’s a (Duke) phd electrical engineer…but has become at peace with my genetic shortcomings.)
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Mosey over to the Local 506 this Friday, October 15th to hear Floating Action up close. And, by all means, give Seth a high five when you see him!