On a drizzly Friday morning in September, Jade Lilitri is sitting on the beach, talking about how its sweep can make you feel as small as a grain of sand. He once wrote a song about that, 2017’s “The Walk,” for his radiant one-man post-emo project, Oso Oso. Surrendering the ego with such grace is uncommon, and no less in the often solipsistic realm of emo.

“The Walk” was inspired by the very boardwalk we’ve just crossed in Long Beach, New York—a short distance from where the 27-year-old grew up and lived with his parents, working odd jobs. Before Lilitri moved to Pennsylvania last summer, he would bring his guitar to the boardwalk at night to write. “If you come out here feeling some kind of way,” says Lilitri, “you can find a million metaphors.” On this small barrier island just below Long Island’s south shore, we’re about 45 minutes from Manhattan, and today the beach is deserted, save for the seagulls, the lifeguard, and a sole surfer wiping out over and over in the distance.

the yunahon mixtape by oso oso

Lilitri’s third and best Oso Oso album, Basking in the Glow, has only been out for a week when we meet, but already the crowds at his shows are swelling—last night in Boston was their biggest headlining show ever, and tonight will be bigger. After our interview, Lilitri and his band are heading to the city for any Long Island indie musician’s fantasy gig: a sold-out Friday night show at the storied, near-600-capacity Bowery Ballroom. Still, Lilitri exudes chillness, wearing gym shorts, a hoodie, and a snapback depicting the logo of a weed dispensary; his nose is pierced with both a septum ring and a stud.

Before we hit the beach, Lilitri walks me past the Dairy Barn drive-thru where he most recently worked ringing up groceries while blasting his favorite indie bands. Dairy Barn was a step-up from the frozen yogurt shop he co-managed (poorly, he admits) or the Joe’s Crab Shack where he waited tables in a tie-dyed uniform and was required to perform impromptu line dances to songs like the Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get It Started.” What does it take to be an indie rock musician today? In Lilitri’s case, cha-cha sliding for seafood lovers in between self-booked tours.