CROATOA
Rock band from Wilmington, NC — bass-driven, loud, and lyric-forward.
Bio
CROATOA is a three-piece indie rock band from Wilmington, North Carolina, built on punchy bass lines, witty lyrics, staccato guitar work, and 90s verse-chorus-verse instincts. Based in the Princess Place neighborhood, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Jeff Levensailor, bassist Colin Kern, and drummer Jay Bryant make sharp, energetic songs that pull from Pixies, Wavves, Ty Segall, Harlem, Violent Femmes, and Nirvana without settling neatly into any one genre.
Named after the word carved into a tree during the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, CROATOA writes songs about irony, love, loss, and existential nonsense, wrapping sincere emotional weight in sarcasm, character-driven lyrics, and hooks that tend to linger. Their debut LP, “Start a Fire,” was released June 1, featuring songs like “Clap Back,” “Start a Fire,” and “I Always Have to Win.”
Live, CROATOA is a high-energy beach-town bar band in the best possible sense: loud, weird, fun, and built to make people come back for the riff stuck in their head. The band is currently touring the album, writing new material, and building a backyard studio to track themselves and other bands in the Wilmington scene.
Booking
For all booking and live inquiries — festivals, rooms, collabs, film, weird ideas — email the desk:
Include dates, city, venue type, lineup, and a link to your favorite CROATOA track so we know you mean it.