Utah indie-rock band the Backseat Lovers are early in their career, but they’ve already signed to Capitol Records, and their latest album, Waiting To Spill, was produced by six-time Grammy Award-winning producer David Greenbaum.

While in town for a show at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, the Backseat Lovers stopped at The Current to perform a set of songs and to talk with host Ayisha Jaffer about what it was like to work with Greenbaum. They also shed some light on the slightly under-the-radar music scene in the state of Utah, and they talk about how they work to connect with the communities where they perform by donating to local nonprofits.

Watch the complete session above, and read a transcript below.

Interview Transcript

Ayisha Jaffer: I'm Ayisha Jaffer. I'm hanging out with the Backseat Lovers today, Josh and Jonas in the studio with us. Thank you so much for being here.

Josh Harmon: Thank you for having us.

Jonas Swanson: Yeah, thanks.

Ayisha Jaffer: So I have to say, like, I know that you guys as a group are from different parts of Utah, but I don't often hear of musicians out of Utah other than like I can — and I'm sure there's more than what I know, which is like the Used and Jewel. But I just wanted you to maybe bring us into, like, the Utah music scene, what is that like? And how did you kind of come up from that?

Josh Harmon: It's a really cool scene. It's changed so much, I'd say, over the last like five years. But we... I grew up in a little town called Heber City, which has no music scene at all. There's like, only like one or two high school bands when I was going to high school there. But yeah, going to shows when we were kind of first starting to get into the Salt Lake scene, it was going to Kilby Court and down in Provo at this venue called the Velour. Those are kind of the two like all ages, like, backbone of the scene venues.

Jonas Swanson: There's a lot of DIY venues too. And they just kind of pop up throughout Utah, that we played at getting started and stuff.

Josh Harmon: Yeah, lots of young indie bands, indie-rock bands, especially just like since the pandemic, it's just kind of like, seriously, probably like 30 or 40 bands that I've never even heard of just came out of nowhere. It's really special.

Ayisha Jaffer: It's like that time of stillness, right? You have a moment and then you're like, "Oh, yeah, this is what I'm gonna do."

Josh Harmon: Yeah.

Ayisha Jaffer: Well, then, I also heard you guys like play like basement shows and things like that. So kind of people took it upon them to bring in music to their homes in Utah to you as well.

Josh Harmon: Yeah, I know. House shows are kind of like our favorite way of performing, if possible. Yeah, we kind of on our very first tour, that was kind of like the the main intention was to play as many house shows as possible.

Ayisha Jaffer: Well, and then you jumped from there, of course, which we're gonna get to. But I wanted to ask as well, I've read somewhere that you guys met in high school, but also at an open mic. So I'm kind of curious of the true, the real origin story of the Backseat Lovers.

Jonas Swanson: Yeah, we met like when we were in high school; I think I was like 17 or something, but me and Josh met at an open mic at the Velour, that other, like, all-ages venue. And it was kind of like between — I'm from Sandy, which is like an hour away from Heber — but it was like the middle point between us. Yeah.

Josh Harmon: Yeah, yeah. I had been playing with Juice for probably, like, six months or so, maybe? But we were... I was, like, desperately wanting to start a band, and, like, looking for people to play with. And Juice and I would just, like, would work on songs in my parents' basement. This was like junior year, junior to senior-ish year of high school. Yeah, I was standing in line at an open mic and like, look over to my left, and there's this guy with a really cool pedal board. I was like, "That's cool pedal board, dude." And that was Jonas. And then we — we didn't end up, because they have like a capacity limit on how many people can play — so we we didn't end up getting to play at the open mics. We just kind of like played our songs to each other outside the venue, and I invited him to come jam with me and Jonah — or with me and Juice, and bada bing, bada boom.

Ayisha Jaffer: And there you go. That's awesome. I love that you like, you were like, "Even though we can't play, we're gonna play for each other." And that's kind of — I love that. I can see that in my mind. Well, you guys are one of those rare artists too, right, where I like to say the people chose you, right? You have a viral hit. And that's "Kilby Girl," which now when you were mentioning Kilby Court, is that based on — ? Yeah? Okay. So that connects in that way. But I know you get asked this a lot, but I think it's a fascinating thing, like, when you have a viral hit. Like what was happening to you guys as a band as this kind of momentum was starting to grow?

Jonas Swanson: It was kind of, I think, yeah, I mean, it was kind of a unique situation, because we were, it was during lockdown. So like, yeah, like, we were kind of like, working on a lot of music. Like, I felt like a little disconnected, because we weren't like going into, like playing shows and like, like seeing our fan base grow, like, physically, I guess, in person.

Josh Harmon: Yeah, it was like kind of intangible, just like a number on a screen for like, a year. So it was like, we were pretty like, I don't know, we tend to try and like separate ourselves from that as well. Like, just try to keep it, like, when you're in the room with people, that's when you kind of like, see it for what it is? I guess so. Yeah, after once we started touring, I think that was when it kind of like became more real, that people were starting to, I don't know, listen to the music and find something in it.

Ayisha Jaffer: Well, you realize, right, that number, then, is a person and you're like, "Oh, that number is real, and these people are listening," which is like so powerful and cool. Which is why I think a viral hit's cool because it is really like instead of someone necessarily scouting you, it's like individual people who are like, "That's good!" Like, "World, listen to this," which I think is so special. And that kind of led you now to, you're signed to Capitol; this is your first album, Waiting To Spill on the record and — on the record label — nd you worked with David Greenbaum, who I know has worked with Beck, he's worked with the Gorillaz, Paul McCartney. I'm curious, did you guys get to like choose this producer to work with? Or how did that like process kind of begin? 

Josh Harmon: Yeah, so we've kind of... the entire process of making and finishing the album we did before signing to Capitol Records. So it was kind of like, all between us and our management just kind of like trying to piece it all together. And we ended up meeting with a bunch of different producers, because we had never worked with one before; only like, sound engineers in the studio. But it was when we had been taking a bunch of interviews, like Zoom interviews, with producers and sending our demos of the songs. And when we started talking to David, it was just kind of like, it just felt like something clicked. It was like he kind of understood what we were trying to say with the songs, even though they were still very much in their, like, infancy. So yeah, it was a really special thing to get to work with David. He's really intuitive and humble. A creative person.

Ayisha Jaffer: Did you kind of, you know, as opposed to like, what you're saying how you guys made music before with like, produce— sorry, sound engineers, and now, working with a producer, did you find a big difference in that process for making this record as opposed to your prior one? 

Jonas Swanson: I think like, we were kind of looking for a producer that played a similar role in a lot of ways as an engineer and like, mixing engineer, I guess, plus a little more. But yeah, he, I think like it definitely, like the chemistry that we had with David was like a big, a big... yeah, it was really cool.

Josh Harmon: I think like, one thing, one of the bigger differences for me in working with David was with the time that we had in pre-production. We we were out in L.A. for a while and we went to his garage and just jammed the songs in his garage so he could kind of like, get an understanding of the live feel. And that was kind of like a way to, like, make a blueprint for how we wanted to track everything once we got into the studio. And I think that was, like, a big difference of working with a producer was kind of like seeing the whole album before going in and starting to mic stuff up, you know?

Ayisha Jaffer: Well, and that kind of leads me into my next question, because I feel like the album is so well curated, like you're telling a story. And I'm just curious what you hope listeners take away from that story.

Josh Harmon: It's a good question. I think... well, you know, when when we're writing songs, and Jonas and I wrote a lot of the songs on this album together, we're usually just kind of telling our own story and using, I don't know, writing for us is very much trying to understand yourself and understand the situation you're in, and make, just make it, give it context to yourself. And that's why it's such a satisfying thing is it feels like you're the most in the moment in your life when a song is happening in real time. So I think the album is very much just like us trying to get the most direct pipeline to what is like our experience of growing up over the last couple of years. And, you know, when we very first started three or four years ago, on the album, we were all kind of moving out of our parents' houses and moving in together and moving to the city. And over that three years, a lot of growth happened as well, both as a band and as individuals. So in terms of just what people, what we'd want people to take away from it, I think, to me, just like if someone were to have the perspective that they can have their heart and their mind open, kind of in a similar way that we did when we were writing, and then whatever the story means to them at that point is like, well, you know, well worth it for me, just like whatever resonates with them is what's important. Like, we can't really decide that anymore at that point.

Ayisha Jaffer: Yeah. Yeah. Well, one of the songs that we're thrashing here off that record is "Growing, Dying," which I think is a good like, almost like a thesis statement. I find that track so relatable, especially like the clerk, looking into their eyes, because I'm one of those people: If you don't like my eyes, I'll like, do that whole thing. But that connection and that whole story. So I am curious. I mean, you kind of touched on it, it is about personal stories, but what launched that specific idea for that song?

Josh Harmon: That's a good question. I was, I'm pretty sure I remember, I was sitting on the couch, and I have a couple of houseplants, it's kind of literal to the way the song started. But chronologically, the song started with the first line. And I was actually kind of upset that my plants were dying, and I'm like very, like emotionally attached to them. And I was also kind of going through an emotional... I guess, I was a little bit lower than usual. So that was where the line, the first line kind of started. And then I actually went to the grocery store. And I didn't really know if it was going to be a song or not. And then leaving that grocery store, I was just like, I felt like, kind of, like I was a part of this like, machine or something; just like feeling like, am I the only person that's like trying to like, see what's going going on around me and connect with myself and connect with other people? And just in that scenario, and then on the drive home, that song, the second line kind of came in. And I was like, "OK, this is starting to be a song." And then I remember it wasn't until we played it together as a band, probably within a couple days of that starting, starting that song. I just remember in the first like 15 minutes of us playing it a couple of times, it was like, "Whoa, like, this is a song." Like, and at the time, we were like starting to get pretty decided on what our tracklist would be for the album. And then that kind of just changed everything. We just kind of like, "Maybe we need to like, step back and like let ourselves like, see what this — how this can tell the story even more and like how it can change." And from there, I think we ended up writing a few more songs that ended up really changing the album. Yeah, that's kind of a long answer!

Ayisha Jaffer: No, I love it. But like in the process, you never know what's gonna happen, and that's kind of magic of it too.

Well, you're on the road, you're here today, you're going to be playing the Palace Theatre, which is just a beautiful space, tonight. And it's going to be great. And I know you've been, like, you guys have shared stages with, like, Jack White and the Killers and played all these iconic festivals. And I'm wondering, what have you learned on the road so far?

Jonas Swanson: Yeah, I think like... something, about just like being on the road, as I think is like, this just comes to mind, like, conserving yourself. I think. Like, because I think like, for me at least, like, I want to go out and like, I feel like I just want to experience everything. And like, because we're in a new place every day, and we're doing like new things every day, and I have tried to find a balance of like, like when I, when is, when I can do that and when I need to like just take a moment for myself and like, just like lay down and sleep in our bus. But yeah. 

Josh Harmon: I think — I agree. I think finding some sort of routine is really important. I think, I don't know,  because every day is so unpredictable, that for us as a band and with the crew, and we're all very close and have very, like, personal relationships and have a lot of fun together. But also, I think with that much like emotional vulnerability, there is like room for people to get their feelings hurt or for when, when things go wrong, that can be, like, it can feel emotionally, a lot, especially just being away from home and the days racking up. But I think having, like, I think the biggest thing for me is just learn how to... I've learned a lot more about trying to be more patient with both myself and the situation. And to, like, treat every day as just, "This is just one day." The way that this day went or the show went doesn't necessarily affect, this isn't what my whole life means or what my whole career or what the whole band's career means. Because there's good shows and bad shows, just like there's good days and bad days, you know?

Ayisha Jaffer: Yeah, you gotta take it day by day. And I love that you're conserving as well, because that's like, something that's happening more because we live in this kind of wild world that people, they go really hard, and then they wear themselves out and you can't keep going. So it's really good to hear that way of thinking on the road. Now, another thing I wanted to ask about because, you know, we were in lockdown. And you know, we're still kind of in this weird world. But I'm just curious of like, when you're hitting those stages, when you're out on tour, do you remember, is there like a certain moment where you felt like the fan-artist connection that was particularly special to you?

Josh Harmon: I don't know. I think we feel it like every single night, there's like a different, and in a completely different way, even. I think for me, one of my favorite things about performing onstage is just making like connections with individual people. And like, even if it's just for like two seconds, making eye contact with someone and like seeing that the song has like a place in their life is just like the most special thing. It's really hard to, like, put into words how gratifying that is. It's like, I don't know, just kind of like you just see each other for just that one moment. And I think we all have those experiences with fans like every single night that we play.

Ayisha Jaffer: Yeah, to be seen is really special, I think.

Josh Harmon: Yeah.

Ayisha Jaffer: And, you know, one of the things that you guys are doing that I think is so awesome, I'm an advocate of this, for artists using their platform for good. You guys are donating some of your proceeds to all these different organizations, including one here in St. Paul. Was it Saint ... Oh, I can't remember now. St. Jonah? Um, you can just cut this out, but it's someone's coat, and I can't remember.

Jonas Swanson: Oh, Joseph's Coat.

Ayisha Jaffer: Joseph's Coat! That's what it was!

Jonas Swanson: I was blanking on the name, too.

Ayisha Jaffer: I was thinking Josh and Jonas, so I was thinking Jonas's Coat, and I know it's not! Which is a very, like a very special one. And I'm just curious, like, what ignited this idea and got it into fruition? And why did you choose some of these specific organizations?

Josh Harmon: I think a big thing for us in traveling around the world is just like realizing that every community has their own specific situation and needs. And like, a lot of that can be across the board with certain charities. But just like going from town to town, and like trying to make like a personal, more personal impact, we wanted to try and find one specific to each community that was like, as relevant and like as timely as possible. And, you know, especially going into the winter now, just like people needing more and more resources. That was kind of where our heads were at, was trying to make it as like, personal as possible to the places we're playing.

Ayisha Jaffer: I think that's really, that's really cool. So thank you for doing that. And cheers to you guys for that. Well, is there anything else you want our listeners to know before I let you guys go?

Josh Harmon: Well, if you're in St. Paul, definitely wear a jacket! It's so cold here.

Ayisha Jaffer: It just happened if it helps. Yesterday was like 66.

Josh Harmon: Yeah, we were in Chicago yesterday, and it was, like, nice!

Jonas Swanson: We're expecting it to to be freezing, but it was really, yeah it was really warm in Chicago.

Josh Harmon: Then we woke up this morning, it was like, "Nooo...!"

Ayisha Jaffer: It's okay, you got coffee, you're set! Well, thank you guys so much for hanging out with us here in the studio. Again, the Backseat Lovers here at The Current studios; Waiting To Spill is out now.

The Backseat Lovers - band members

Joshua Harmon – lead vocals, guitar
Jonas Swanson – lead guitar, piano, vocals
KJ Ward – bass
Juice Welch – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Video Segments

00:00:00 Close Your Eyes
00:05:51 Words I Used
00:11:22 Viciously Lonely
00:16:26 Interview with host Ayisha Jaffer

All songs from the Backseat Lovers’ 2022 album, Waiting To Spill, available on Capitol Records.

Credits

Guests – The Backseat Lovers
Host – Ayisha Jaffer
Producer – Derrick Stevens
Video Director – Eric Xu Romani
Camera Operators – Eric Xu Romani, Evan Clark
Audio – Derek Ramirez
Graphics – Natalia Toledo
Digital Producer – Luke Taylor

External Link

The Backseat Lovers - official site