It starts with a guitar riff that feels like it’s being played in a garage with the door half-open. You know the one. It’s scrappy. It’s a little bit unpolished. Then Joshua Harmon starts singing about a girl named Kilby Girl, and suddenly, an entire generation of indie fans found their new anthem. But if you really want to understand the DNA of this band, you have to look at the album that started the fire. The Backseat Lovers When We Were Friends isn't just a debut record; it’s a time capsule of that weird, shaky transition from being a kid in Utah to becoming a national touring act.
Honestly, it’s rare for a self-released project to have this much staying power. Released in 2019, the album didn’t have a massive label machine behind it. It had TikTok, word of mouth, and a raw energy that felt more authentic than the over-produced indie pop dominating the charts at the time. People were tired of the "stomp and holler" era. They wanted something that felt like a basement show.
The Sound of Salt Lake City’s Best Export
The Backseat Lovers didn't come from Brooklyn or Los Angeles. They came from the Provo and Salt Lake City scene. That matters. There is a specific kind of pent-up creative energy that comes from the Mountain West. You can hear it in the dynamics of the songs. One minute, things are quiet and contemplative, and the next, the drums are crashing through the ceiling.
Take "Pool House," for instance. It’s the second track on The Backseat Lovers When We Were Friends. It captures that exact feeling of being stuck in your hometown, watching the seasons change while you feel like you’re standing still. The lyrics aren’t trying to be overly poetic or abstract. They’re literal. They’re grounded. "I'm not doing too well," Harmon admits. It’s that honesty that hooked people. You’ve probably felt that exact same way on a Tuesday night in your own hometown.
Most people focus on the singles, but the deep cuts are where the musicianship really shines. Jonas Swanson’s guitar work throughout the album is a masterclass in "less is more" until it absolutely needs to be "more." The chemistry between the band members—Juice Welch on drums and KJ Ward on bass—provides a foundation that allows the vocals to go off the rails in the best way possible. They play like a band that has spent hundreds of hours in a van together, probably because they have.
Why "Kilby Girl" Changed Everything
It is impossible to talk about this album without mentioning the behemoth. "Kilby Girl" is the song that launched a thousand playlists. But why?
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It’s catchy, sure. But it’s the storytelling. The song references Kilby Court, the legendary all-ages venue in Salt Lake City. If you grew up in that scene, you know Kilby Court is a rite of passage. By name-dropping a specific local landmark, the band actually made the song feel more universal. It created a sense of place. We all have our version of Kilby Court.
The song's narrative—falling for someone who’s a bit older, a bit more "alt," and way more sophisticated than you—is a classic trope, but they make it feel fresh. When the bridge hits and the tempo picks up, it mirrors the frantic heartbeat of a teenager trying to keep up. It’s brilliant. The song eventually racked up hundreds of millions of streams, but on the album, it sits perfectly as a centerpiece that defines the record's aesthetic.
Breaking Down the Tracklist Dynamics
The flow of the record is surprisingly sophisticated for a debut.
- Watch Your Mouth: A short, atmospheric intro that sets the mood. It’s moody. It’s patient.
- Pool House: The energy kicks in. This is the "driving with the windows down" track.
- Intuition: This one is slower, focusing on the vocal delivery and a steady build-up.
- Kilby Girl: The peak. The moment everyone waits for.
- Maple Syrup: A fan favorite that showcases the band's ability to jam.
- Sinking Ship: A haunting, acoustic-driven track that shows their range.
The sequence isn't accidental. It’s designed to take you through the highs and lows of a single evening. Or maybe a single relationship.
The Production: Lo-Fi Heart with High-Fi Ambition
One of the biggest misconceptions about The Backseat Lovers When We Were Friends is that it’s a "lo-fi" record. While it has that DIY spirit, the recording quality is actually quite sharp. They didn't over-process the vocals. They didn't quantize the drums to death. You can hear the pick hitting the strings. You can hear the room.
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This "organic" sound became their calling card. In an era where everything is tuned to perfection, hearing a singer’s voice crack slightly during an emotional crescendo is a relief. It makes the listener feel like they are in the room. This approach influenced a wave of other indie bands who realized they didn't need a million-dollar studio to make an impact. They just needed a good room and better songs.
The band eventually moved on to a major label for their follow-up, Waiting to Spill, which was much more experimental and dense. But fans always come back to the first record. It has a simplicity that is hard to replicate once you become "famous." There’s a certain magic in not knowing if anyone is ever going to hear your music. That’s what this album sounds like.
The Cultural Impact of the Album Cover
Let’s talk about the art for a second. The blurry, sepia-toned photo of the band. It’s iconic now. It perfectly encapsulates the "nostalgia for the present" feeling that the music evokes. It looks like a photo you’d find in a shoe box in twenty years.
It also fits the "indie sleaze" or "modern vintage" aesthetic that took over social media in the early 2020s. The Backseat Lovers accidentally became the poster boys for a specific kind of style—Carhartt jackets, thrifted flannels, and a genuine disregard for being "cool." By just being themselves, they became the ultimate definition of cool for a new generation of rock fans.
Comparing "When We Were Friends" to "Waiting to Spill"
While their second album, Waiting to Spill, is objectively more complex, The Backseat Lovers When We Were Friends remains the emotional core of the fanbase.
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- Structure: The debut is song-based; the follow-up is more of a "suite" or a singular experience.
- Vibe: "When We Were Friends" is about external experiences—parties, girls, hometown blues. "Waiting to Spill" is deeply internal and psychedelic.
- Live Performance: Songs from the first album still get the biggest reactions at festivals. When the first notes of "Out of Tune" hit, the crowd loses it.
The Reality of Being an Independent Band in 2019
We often forget how hard it was to break through right before the pandemic. The Backseat Lovers were touring relentlessly. They were playing small clubs, sleeping on couches, and selling merch out of the back of their cars.
The Backseat Lovers When We Were Friends was the engine that allowed them to quit their day jobs. It proved that there was still a massive appetite for guitar-driven rock and roll among Gen Z. While the "death of rock" is a headline that gets recycled every few years, this album is a direct rebuttal to that claim. Rock isn't dead; it just moved to the suburbs of Utah and started wearing beanies.
Actionable Insights for Music Fans and Creators
If you are a fan of this record, or a musician looking to emulate their success, there are a few key takeaways from how this album was built and sustained:
- Community First: The band built a local following in Utah before trying to "go viral." They had a foundation.
- Embrace the Imperfect: The reason "Kilby Girl" resonates isn't because it’s a perfect recording, but because it feels human. Don't over-edit your art.
- Lyric Specificity: Use real names and real places. Instead of writing a song about "the park," write a song about the specific park with the broken swing. Specificity is what makes music relatable.
- Dynamic Range: Don't be afraid to be quiet. The loud parts only matter if the quiet parts exist.
The legacy of this album is still being written. It has become a staple for anyone going through their late teens or early twenties. It’s the sound of growing up, being confused, and finding a way to scream about it over a loud guitar.
If you haven't listened to the full album in a while, go back and play it from start to finish. Skip the singles. Listen to "Just a Boy" or "Out of Tune." You’ll realize that the magic wasn't just in one hit song—it was in the chemistry of four friends who had no idea they were about to change the indie rock landscape.
To truly appreciate the evolution of the band, compare the raw energy of the debut tracks to their live performances caught on film during their 2023 and 2024 tours. You can see how those simple structures have expanded into sprawling, jam-heavy masterpieces. The foundation for all of that growth is right here, in eleven tracks recorded when they were just getting started.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Connection to the Music:
- Watch the Live Sessions: Look up the band's "Paste Magazine" or "NPR Tiny Desk" performances to see how these songs translate without the studio polish.
- Explore the Utah Scene: Check out other bands from the Salt Lake City/Provo area like The Moss or Krooked Kings to understand the ecosystem that produced The Backseat Lovers.
- Analyze the Gear: For guitarists, research Jonas Swanson’s pedalboard setup from the 2019 era—it’s a masterclass in using standard equipment to create unique textures.
- Read the Lyrics: Sit down with the physical vinyl or a lyric sheet and notice the recurring themes of water, light, and physical distance that tie the album together.