~ Brace for fangirling ~

The Backseat Lovers in action.
Photo by: Cassilyn Anderson

11/17/23

one year of ‘Waiting to spill’

For those of you that know me, I’m sure you’ve been expecting this post… It is important to remember that I am just a girl, not to be confused with The Backseat Lovers’ (in my opinion, under-appreciated) song ‘Just a Boy,’ and because I am just a girl, sometimes I forget that I have a blog where I am allowed to gush over my favorite artists. So — Here is me doing exactly that!

A year ago today, Nov. 17, 2022, I saw four guys walk onto the stage of The Wiltern theatre in Los Angeles and eventually walk off of it, the usual for most concerts, I’d venture to say. In the most flavorful blur of time, I became a changed woman.

I had listened to their 2019 album “When We Were Friends” for a good couple of years, with the song ‘Maple Syrup’ sticking in my head just as much as its title implies it would, but it was only after my number one artist fumbled and fell off of my personal radar that I allowed myself to fully divulge in The Backseat Lovers — I haven’t looked back since.

Joshua Harmon, Juice Welch, Jonas Swanson, KJ Ward (left to right)
Photo by: Cassilyn Anderson

Lead singer and guitarist Joshua Harmon, drummer Juice Welch, bass player KJ Ward, and lead guitarist and vocalist Jonas Swanson are the epitome of indie-rock. The quartet of boys originating from Utah, found success fairly fast thanks to the algorithm. Once people found them, there was no denying their talent. With their hit song ‘Kilby Girl,’ based on Kilby Court, located in Salt Lake City, UT, finding major success on TikTok, the boys went from humble Utahns making music for fun to international stars.

Their down to earth appearances and attitudes have a magnetic charm, something that isn’t quite captured through their music or photos, at least not to me. I didn’t fall head over heels for them as a whole till I saw them live...

Now, I must admit that my concert experiences have only just started to grow in numbers marginally within the last two years. Before 2020, my concert going involvements were limited to whomever my parents wanted to see, which I had no problem with considering they have great taste that has ultimately shaped the way I see and ingest music. The first artist they ever took me to see that was more for me than them was Pentatonix at the 2015 Jingle Ball, with openers Andy Grammer and Train. However, I would be lying if I said that my family weren’t equally in love with their Christmas album ‘That’s Christmas to Me’ as I was. This tangent isn’t at all to blame my parents for anything, because I treasure those shared experiences, but more so to emphasize that if quarantine made me appreciate anything, it was the irreplaceable magic that live music has to it. Despite being back in the “real world” two years later, I still had yet to experience any of the artists I individually loved most play live, mainly due to the fact that I never had any artists I felt so inclined to see on my own.

Then came September 2022, when tickets for The Backseat Lovers “Waiting to Spill Tour” were announced. Having just recently put one of my friends onto their music, he was eager to see them. Annnnd having just seen Laufey in Scottsdale, AZ on her “Everything I Know About Love Tour,” I was on a high and didn’t want to come down anytime soon. So, naturally, I agreed to see them with him, because sure, they’re a good band! That was the extent of my mindset at the time. *laughs in future obsession*

Having just started my junior year of college, I found myself far too busy to listen to their October 2022 released album ‘Waiting to Spill’ that they were literally touring for. Although, I am almost always listening to music, I wasn’t in a place where I could actually digest a whole new album, because when I want to listen to something that I haven’t before, I want to make sure that it has my full attention. This, I feel is valid and not just a me thing, but what do I know, other than everything? Anyway, I convinced myself that this was an intentional move on my part to ultimately be able to experience the album for the first time LIVE. Little did I know this would result in a full mental reset in the balcony seats of The Wiltern in LA.

Eventually, despite a brutal sinus infection that just wouldn’t quit, I found myself in the car on my way to see BSL. There I sat, in LA traffic, blissfully unaware of the bullet train of emotions that were about to hit my heavily DayQuil influenced body. Soon, the car was parked, the doors were opened, our booties were sat, and the boys were on stage. To make a very long story short, on Nov. 17, 2022, I listened to the entirety of ‘Waiting to Spill’ by The Backseat Lovers for the very first time, leaving me with a new favorite album and a new outlook on live music.

I have since gone to see them again, in San Diego at the SOMA Soundstage earlier this year in April, which was a much needed escapism endeavor with everything that was happening in that time of my life. It seems to be a reoccurring theme that The Backseat Lovers find me when I need them most, regardless of whether or not I realize it. In order to prepare for that concert I fasted (attempted to) from their music for a whole month (two weeks), which I had been listening to nonstop since Nov. on my playlist, ‘Synonyms for ‘Addiction,” made specifically so that Spotify would stop trying to interrupt me and my enrichment time.

I cannot emphasize enough how much my perception of their music changed after having seen them live for the first time. I had never experienced “post-concert depression” until the aftermath of the concert at The Wiltern. Ward, Welch, and Swanson hold their own on stage, which is necessary when sharing it with the firecracker that is Harmon when he’s in the zone, starkly contrasting his soft-spoken day to day personality. In full transparency, Joshua Harmon could sing pure gibberish and would be able to hold my full and complete attention without fail. His presence doesn’t just fill the room, but swallows it whole.

Joshua Harmon (left) and Jonas Swanson (right) roughhousing on stage.
Photo by: Cassilyn Anderson

Diving a little deeper into the lightning bolt of energy that is Harmon on stage is a necessity for this post, mainly because of how inspirational it is for me, as a part time performer myself, to witness. One of Harmon’s most notable contributions live on stage is his ability to bring up and out the energy of his adorable shy-guy counterpart Swanson, and also his ability to jump up and down while playing the guitar and never missing a beat. And I mean JUMPING. Mans is in the rafters by the end of the show! Both times I’ve seen them live, the audience has absolutely devoured any solo, vocally or guitarily (I know that’s not a thing, let me have fun), that Swanson gives them. On one side of things, I wish he would come out of his shell just a little more, because in comparison to Harmon, anyone would look like a brick wall standing next to him; But on the other hand, I completely understand the struggle of coming out of your shell on stage, not only as someone who also has to perform live, but as someone who is dating a shy-guy guitarist. Safe to say, a little sway goes a long way, for both the audience and the player themselves depending on their comfortability on stage. I completely see the charm of being so into the music you’re playing that you forget the world around you exists, but whenever he does come out of his shell, usually to head-but his bandmate and friend Harmon during their set, I can’t help but to smile.

The passion these boys have for the music they’re playing can undeniably be seen across the board, regardless of their differing approaches towards stage presence. Harmon’s iconic jumping on beat whilst playing his guitar, Swanson’s gentle headbanging versus Ward’s heavy headbanging (always losing his hat), and Welch’s constant open mouth, perhaps in an attempt to suck up every moment, all melds into a beautifully harmonious live experience.

If you ever get the chance to see them live, go! Is everything I just said not enough for you? Well, unluckily for you, I’m really stubborn and persuasive, so let me sweeten the deal with some tunes from the indie-rock quartet.

DISCLAIMER: I need you to know just how hard I thought about which songs to recommend for YOU. Ideally, I would be diving fully into the whole album of ‘Waiting to Spill,’ and I honestly might one day (if you want that let me know over on the jammingwithjacky Instagram, I call that a shameful plug), but my goal for this specific post is to focus less on one album and on the artist’s music as a whole. However, let the record show that I do, in fact, recommend that entire album with my whole chest, like seriously, PLEASE listen to it. Anyone who has ever been in my car has been subjected to the whole sum of The Backseat Lovers discography time and time again, but seeing that I sadly cannot buckle you in and take you for a 2 hour long spin, I have compiled my top 5 songs for BSL beginners. These are NOT my favorites, because all of their songs are my favorite, but also it’s hard for me to pick favorites to begin with, because I’m really indecisive, which I think stems from when-

Hey, remember the beginning of this blog post? Me neither, it’s been a loooooong read, huh? Well, if you DO remember, I referenced this song! I even linked it! To try and give you a taste of what you’ve been missing, because I know that I personally was missing this song for a while. The song ‘Just a Boy’ is a single by, you guessed it, The Backseat Lovers, released in 2019, in between their two albums. I did not know this song existed, for much longer than I would like to admit, but it might just be one of their best. Something about this song feels so powerful, like a stepping stone that a lot of people forget to take on their journey into BSL culture. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that they had TWO singles, neither of which made it on to their albums or even their earlier 2018 EP ‘Elevator Days.’ It was like unlocking a whole new treasure trove of gadgets and gizmos-a-plenty! I was totally like, “look at this stuff, isn’t it neat?” Sorry, anyway! Something about both singles, ‘Just a Boy’ and ‘Heavy’ feel very individualistic, which might just be why they never found their way onto an album. This conversational song, although one-sided, leaves me wanting more every-time.

Heyyyyyy, I also referenced this song! It’s almost like… I really like these songs! I won’t lie, I dabble in the sociopathy of listening to the emotional rollercoaster that is my Spotify likes, and I usually just skip until I find a song that I’m in the mood for. HOWEVER, ‘Maple Syrup’ has proven without fail to be the only song that it feels morally wrong for me to skip. If I do ever skip this song, then I am reeeeeally not okay, because it’s hard not to feel good listening to this song, despite the questionable subject matter. Perhaps the most disconcerting lyrics in BSL history happen within this song, and yet, I scream that at the top of my lungs, even though I relate fully to the main character of it, a girl that Harmon (hypothetically) broke the heart of by possibly cheating on her. There is a present dichotomy that happens when really listening to this particular song, mainly because of the insanely entertaining and involved instrumentation (one of my favorite guitar solos EVER) which contrasts the guilty confessional from Harmon that takes place in the lyrics. In summary, no one should be surprised if I see this song at the top of my Spotify wrapped this year.

It is possible that one of my favorite feelings in life is the feeling of being right, which I will forever associate with this song. The friend that I had previously mentioned that I got hooked onto The Backseat Lovers, and went to the 2022 concert with, was not originally a very big fan of this song, which to me, made absolutely no sense. And if something doesn’t make sense to me then… Well, no that actually happens a lot, because I can be a lil’ dumb, but also forget I ever said that, I’m a Taurus! And I digress, because essentially, I knew for a fact that this song was an AMAZING song. How could he not like it? I thought to myself. Do I need to reevaluate the people I surround myself with? Yes, but not in this instance. Am I the only person that is in love with this song? Funny past me should mention/think that… Because the answer is NO! In fact, my friend was the minority opinion on this gem. Guess which song they closed with per popular demand from the audience? Oh yeah, that’s right. “SINKING SHIP! SINKING SHIP! SINKING SHIP!” All of this to say, this song and the story that unfolds during it is one worth investing 5 minutes into. Similar to most of the subject matter found on this album, we experience yet another narrative of heartbreak, but it is unclear who is breaking who’s heart here… Possibly the worst case scenario is this song being about a mutual heartbreak. Something a lot of people, myself included, might know all too well (Taylor’s Version).

Here we’re getting into the nitty gritty. Choosing which songs to recommend off of this album was particularly difficult, but I knew that ‘Growing/Dying’ had to be one of them. These are some of the best lyrics Harmon has contributed to their discography, resulting in perhaps the most relatable songs yet, because who hasn’t contemplated the purpose of life if it all ends in death? More specifically, one’s purpose in life and what it all means to be alive. Regardless of how deep and existential this all sounds, this song is a headbanger. There is also an absolutely guttural sing-song-scream that we get towards the climax of the song, that I always live vicariously through, because every once in a while you just need a good scream. This song is also one that I cannot bring myself to skip, it has the same sort of magic to it that ‘Maple Syrup’ does. However, there is a new sound on the ‘Waiting To Spill’ album, which I feel is perfectly summed up through this song alone. For how short it is, in comparison to a lot of their other work, it feels flavorful and jam-packed with ear candy.

‘Slowing Down’ is probably the most intoxicating and mind-bending 5 minutes and 20 seconds you can expect to experience on this album. Starting off (no pun intended) slow, a guitar melody, that carries throughout the duration of the song, leads us straight into some descriptive imagery sung by Harmon. The steady intro guides the listener into an enchantingly dark state of mind. Harmon relates to just about everyone who has ever found themselves grappling with the idea of falling behind in life and not knowing one’s place on this big blue ball that is Earth. The instrumentation on this piece in particular are hauntingly beautiful. Ultimately, this song is less of a song and more of an experience, because this is truly an experience. Which speaking of experiences… I actually have a pretty funny story that goes along with this.

Seeing The Backseat Lovers at The SOMA Soundstage taught me many things about concert venues, most importantly being that I never want to go back to that one. People were dropping like flies because of how hot and crowded it was there, but don’t worry! They opened one door to the outside, the ONLY door to the outside, as a preventative measure! Which definitely helped because before they opened up the only means of ventilation, 4 people had fainted, and after only 7 did! Oh wait. That’s a higher number… Hm… Anyway! I almost added to the tally. With one arm around my boyfriend and the other propping up my phone to take the necessary video, because I’m in my early-twenties and have to document everything I do, otherwise it never happened, I felt myself having to try really hard to breathe. In the most ironic way, during perhaps the trippiest song on the album, I felt myself slowing down (ba dum tissss). During that overwhelming blur/mini-heart-attack, my boyfriend asked me to ease up a little because apparently I was leaning heavily on him, to which I replied with “NO. I’M GOING TO FAINT.” He immediately leaped into action, holding me up as he shuffled us through the crowd, my feet having a hard time keeping up and even stepping on others, which I apologized profusely for, or rather, tried to but it probably came out more accurately as “ohnohzorryummfaintinggggs.” He managed to get me some water, actually from the band’s concert photographer and friend Brandon Minton, whom I recognized but was busy fading in and out of consciousness to mention, and he even managed to film the next song for me. Talk about multitasking!

I would once again like to reiterate how difficult it was for more to select which songs to give you guys for this week’s group. Let that be a testament to just how good (I think) they are. BSL touch upon so many niches, have some of my favorite lyrics, and are one the most instrumentally sound groups to date, especially their size, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Wow! This was a long one! I can only hope that if you’ve made it this far into the post, you’ll make it worth your while by listening to some of the songs I’ve selected for you, and thank you for tuning in!

On that note, Jacky out-y 🍇🤍🍊