The Backseat Lovers is a very popular band in the Midwest. On Spotify alone, the band has gathered 5.5 million monthly listeners and has toured many times. The band’s sound is a mix of folk rock and soft rock.
Originating from Utah, the band is made up of four members: Joshua Harmon (guitar and vocals), KJ Ward (bass), Jonas Swanson (guitar), and Juice Welch (drums). The band started when Joshua Harmon wanted to start a band and asked local drummer Juice Welch to join. Joshua Harmon was previously the singer of the band Mood Pulp. Harmon then met guitarist Jonas Swanson while waiting outside a venue. Soon after, Swanson decided to join the newly-formed band, bringing along bassist Ethan Christensen. This soon resulted in the band’s first single, Out of Tune. In 2018, the newborn band released their first EP, Elevator Days.
In the same year, Ethan Christensen was replaced by KJ Ward on the bass. KJ Ward would be the bassist in The Backseat Lovers’ debut album, When We Were Friends, in 2019. In 2021, the band’s most popular song Kilby Girl from their 2019 album, would gain popularity on the internet and would be played on radio stations. This same song would peak at 39 on Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay charts. The band’s second album, Waiting to Spill, would be released on October 28th, 2022, which contained some singles the group had released earlier in the year, such as Growing/Dying, Slowing Down, and Close Your Eyes. This album was released under the music studio Capitol Records. After four years, the band has stated on their social media platforms that new music will be released this year!
The Backseat Lovers have played live in many places, including Lollapalooza, Newport Folk Festival, and CBS’s This Morning and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. According to Concert Archives, the band has had around 340 concerts in its lifetime, the most being in 2022, with seventy-five concerts. The band toured in late 2025, even having a small show in Columbus, Ohio. When asked about their set at Lollapalooza, Swanson responded, “Lollapalooza was like the first time when we experienced anything like that. Just the festival atmosphere and not even just the show, but everything going on backstage, like the press and all the cameras on stage and stuff. It was just completely different than what we were used to. But it was a really cool experience.”
The Backseat Lovers’ head vocalist Joshua Harmon makes music separately. Under the pseudonym Deeper Sleeper, Harmon released a self-titled album in 2024, alongside a few singles. After the success of this album, Harmon said in an interview that he is going back to working on the third album of The Backseat Lovers.
Overall, The Backseat Lovers is a great band that is full of potential to continue growing. They have a great sound and amazing vocals. Many listeners are excited to see what they release next!
Sources:
https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/the-backseat-lovers
https://atwoodmagazine.com/bklv-the-backseat-lovers-interview-2023-hangout-music-festival/
https://bigtakeover.com/interviews/InterviewTheBackseatLovers
