UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER
The Backseat Lovers to bring its indie sound to Meow Wolf
Joshua Harmon and Jonas Swanson finally got some time at home. The musicians are excited to get a break and recharge.
“It’s been fun on the road and now we finally have some time at home,” Harmon says. “The weather is beautiful and we’re soaking it all in.”
Harmon and Swanson are half of the rock group The Backseat Lovers. They are joined in the band by KJ Ward and Juice Welch.
The band is currently on its North American tour, which will bring it to Meow Wolf in Santa Fe on Friday, Nov. 5.
They’ve released an EP “Elevator Days” and a fulllength debut, “When We Were Friends.”
The Backseat Lovers’ streaming success crossed over to alternative radio, where they quickly entered the Top 20 led by early champions KKDO/ Sacramento and Alt Nation, where “Kibly Girl” was a No. 1 most played song.
Harmon says for the last few years, the band has been working on a new record.
“It’s really getting there now,” Harmon says. “It’s to the point where all we have to add are a few bells and whistles to it.”
Harmon and Swanson are the primary songwriters for The Backseat Lovers, though before songs are finished, each member has a hand in the product.
“Our process starts with an acoustic guitar and then we hash the structure out,” Harmon says.
Swanson says the biggest challenge for the pair working together is compromise.
“We’ve learned in order to understand each other, we have to listen to one another,” Swanson says. “We’re not always perfect, we’re just always being as open as possible.”
Since the first album, the band feels like they’ve grown stronger together.
“We’ve been able to live together for a couple years and that’s been one of the things that has brought us closer as a band,” Harmon says. “Collaborating has become a big part of what we do.”
Harmon and Swanson are looking forward to getting back on the road to perform.
The show at Meow Wolf will be the band’s first show in New Mexico.
There have also been discussions about the set list for the next leg of the tour, which has led to three solid set lists.
“We have a decent stack of new stuff,” Harmon says. “We have enough material where we can switch it up and the sets will be entertaining and challenging for us. With the introduction of the upcoming album, that will give us more room to play with the live show.”