Yächtley Crëw Share The Top 5 Yacht Rock Songs You Can Expect To Hear on Their Australian Tour

The world’s best rock yacht act, Yächtley Crëw, are heading to Australia in May on a five-date national tour. In the lead-up to their shows, we chatted with vocalist Philly Ocean about the tour and got him to list the top five yacht rock songs fans can expect to hear during their set.

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Yacht rock has had a fair resurgence in recent years. Pioneers of the genre, like Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers and Toto, have begun to receive more credit for their impact on music than ever before, while the hit doco, Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary, helped newcomers understand the appeal of the breezy 70s-inspired genre of rock and roll. Another factor that can’t be discounted is the success of LA rockers Yächtley Crëw.

Arguably the world’s finest exponents of yacht rock, Yächtley Crëw have become a global sensation since forming in 2016. Known for wearing nautical attire while performing the greatest yacht rock songs (plus a few originals) live on stage, the band was dubbed “the Steel Panther of the high seas” by OC Weekly.

Releasing their debut EP, Seas the Day, back in 2023, Yächtley Crëw followed up with last year’s Christmas-themed Seas and Greetings EP.

The current lineup comprises vocalist Philly Ocean, guitarist Tommy Buoy, bassist Baba Buoy, drummer Sailor Hawkins, synth player Stoney Shores, saxophonist Pauly Shores and keyboardist Matthew McDonald, with Yächtley Crëw excited to bring their signature yacht rock sound to Aussie audiences this May, with limited tickets still available via totaltouring.com.au.

Before dropping anchor in Australia, we got the chance to shoot through a few questions to frontman Philly Ocean about Yächtley Crëw’s upcoming tour, the rise of yacht rock, and the top five yacht rock songs audiences can expect to hear when the band grace Aussie stages next month.

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You're travelling all the way from the USA to serenade Australia with your yacht rock classics, please tell us you are coming by sea?

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE?! I just looked it up on Chat GPT, and it takes approximately 40 days to sail there from Los Angeles, and we only have a rowboat, so it might take even longer! In reality, we will be flying to Australia, which will still take about 26 hours to get to Perth, but let me tell you it will all be worth it because we couldn’t be more excited to be coming to Australia. It’s such an amazing place and we know that you all are going to love Yächtley Crëw.

What are your expectations of Australia - heard any good rumours about the place? 

We aren’t lying when we say that we could not be MORE excited to come to Australia. A couple of us have been previously to visit and absolutely are in awe of the country – and the people in it. Everyone is so kind, welcoming and ready to have a great time. 

Toto and Christopher Cross are touring right now - what do they think of Yächtley Crëw, and have they come to see any shows? Have any of the bands you play come to a show?

We have a lot of mutual connections, and while they haven’t been to a show personally (yet), we know that they have tipped their hat to what we do and they are on board. Trev Lukather, Steve Lukather of Toto’s son, is a fan and has been to more than a few shows.

The original artists have absolutely welcomed the rebirth of their music into this new genre called yacht rock – there’s even a new documentary on MAX that dives into the history of this music and features footage from a Yächtley Crëw concert alongside these artists!

What are the origins of Yächtley Crëw? Everyone knows and loves the songs, but what inspired you to form a global touring band to celebrate the music?

I mean, we love this music just as much or more than anyone. Yacht rock has been the soundtrack of our lives long before it was called that, and so when the band was coming together back in 2016, it was born out of that love, and because we just wanted to play this music. We had no idea it would come this far, and no idea that people all over the world would respond to what we do the way that they have. It’s been incredible and humbling in the best way. 

You've been called ‘The Steel Panther of the Sea’ and held down a Vegas residency three years running – what’s the wildest thing that’s ever gone down at a Yachtley Crew show?

Haha. For years, we had a residency at the world-famous Viper Room in Los Angeles, and every time we played there, it was a who’s who of Hollywood just showing up because they loved yacht rock. Mario Lopez, Craig Robinson and the cast of Vanderpump Rules. It was nuts, and the place always went crazy.

Have younger generations been turned onto the classics through you, and how does that make you feel?

Yes. Throughout the pandemic, we started to notice this music crosses generational divides over social media platforms like TikTok, and as soon as that happened, we saw younger crowds showing up at our shows. This music is so easy to love and to sing along to that it’s crossed divides that other genres haven’t. It’s really incredible to see. 

Are there any songs/acts you want to tackle but haven’t yet? 

One of the things that we pride ourselves on as musicians is that we tackle all of these great songs with an enthusiasm and intention to do them justice and to elevate them. We put our all into the performances and into our recordings – we have a new album called Seas the Night coming out this year. At this point, eight years in, we have tackled every artist in the yacht rock genre, but we do keep adding new songs so that our shows are fresh and fun. 

What are the top five yacht rock songs the audience can expect to hear on this tour? 

The top five yacht rock songs the audience can expect are ‘Africa’ (Toto), ‘Reelin’ In The Years’ (Steely Dan), ‘Ride Like the Wind’ (Christopher Cross), ‘Lido Shuffle’ (Boz Scaggs) and ‘You Make My Dreams Come True’ (Hall & Oates).

Finally, what should Adelaide punters expect when they step aboard the Yächtley experience?

Get ready for one of the most fun, interactive and memorable shows you have ever been to. We love this music, and we love performing it. It’s been eight years that we’ve been doing this and it feels like we are just getting started. Mix up some Pina Coladas with your friends and bring them out to the show with you. It will be a night you won’t soon forget.

Catch Yächtley Crëw at The Gov on Wednesday, May 14. Tickets on sale now via Oztix. 

Yächtley Crëw Australian Tour 2025 Dates

Monday, May 12 - The Astor, Perth

Wednesday, May 14 – The Gov, Adelaide

Friday, May 16 - Northcote Theatre, Melbourne

Saturday, May 17 - The Metro, Sydney

Sunday, May 18 - The Triffid, Brisbane

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