The Backseat Lovers on Their Evolution as a Band, Their Love for Classic American Breakfast, and Their New Single ”Close Your Eyes”
[UNPUBLISHED:] What was your creative process behind your song “Close Your Eyes?”
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] Writing “Close Your Eyes” took probably the longest of any songs on the album. Within a month or so after releasing our first album, Josh and I, both had songs that we were starting on separately that happened to be in the same key and felt like they told different parts of the same story, so we decided to mesh them together. From then on the song took so many different forms structurally until we finally landed on what we recorded with David Greenbaum. Throughout recording, it was also one of the most labored-over songs. We spent a lot of time dialing in tones, finding the most true vocal and guitar takes and mixing, but we feel really grateful and proud of the journey that this song took us on and it’s really special to us.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favorite lyric from the song?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] All the lyrics come from real conversations I’ve had, and all of them hold a special significance to me. It's a different answer every time we play it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What was the inspiration behind the song cover?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] Tony Ehnle is the photographer that took the cover photos for our albums and single covers. He shot film mainly in the 70s and we’ve been incredibly lucky to share his work through our music. When I saw this photo I immediately thought of my mom. Her dad was a farmer and she spent a lot of time riding horses and motorcycles when she was young. The mountain range in the background even looks very similar to Mt. Timpanogos, the view from the farm.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You’re going on tour soon, what are you most excited about?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] We are very excited to share the new album front-to-back in a live setting. Recently we have dedicated a lot of time reworking the live arrangements for this tour and it has really inspired us to push our musical abilities in a live setting.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Any places you’re excited to visit?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] New York City and Chicago are always fun cities to play in. Somehow we always seem to find ourselves in unique music stores when we are in those cities, sometimes it can be a double-edged sword when you enjoy music gear as much as we do.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What makes you feel at home when you’re away on tour?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] One thing that comes with touring is how close you become with your bandmates and crew. At the end of a long show day, it’s very comforting to gather with your road family and unwind before heading to the next destination.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What are some items you can’t live without while you’re on tour?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] Coffee, Juice's pomade, and Greg’s “TM” motivational speeches.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How do you think you’ve evolved as a band?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] After working on our most recent record, I think we evolved together on a deeper emotional level. We really learned how to communicate and listen to each other more attentively throughout the collaborative process. When writing about topics that are so personal it’s very important to let the art take shape in a very natural way that doesn’t feel forced, allowing that space was very important throughout the process. We have learned how to trust each other on a deeper level, when collaborating on something together we always try to make decisions based upon the best interest of the song. Having trust in each other is very important when collaborating this way. I think all of this growth transfers over seamlessly to the musical side of our newly released music and live shows.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What is your favorite song that you’ve ever released?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] The answer to that question seems to be ever-changing. We typically are the most excited about the newest music that we’ve released at the time.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What is one non-music-related topic you wish interviewers talked to you about?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] The evolution of scrabble.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What is one random fun fact that not many people know about the band?
[THE BACKSEAT LOVERS:] We collectively share a passion for a classic American breakfast.
