The Drowning Men is an indie-rock quintet from Oceanside, California. The members are Nato Bardeen (Vocals, Keys, Guitar, Mandolin), James Smith (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Todd Eisenkerch (Bass, Vocals), Rory Dolan (Percussion), and Gabelani Messer (Keys, Vocals).

Based upon the songwriting of Nato Bardeen, the band was formed by close friends Nato, Rory, James, and original bass player Jason Young, in April 2005. The unnamed group played their first show in the Fall of 2005. As the band began to pick up momentum from songwriting and shows, Jay's position at the clothing company Brixton called for most of his daily attention. Shortly after, Jay left the band to focus on the clothing line.