Indie rock band The Backseat Lovers to play in Omaha

The Backseat Lovers will be rocking Omaha this Thursday and Friday at The Admiral Theater. 

The Backseat Lovers are an indie rock band from Utah. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Joshua Harmon, lead guitarist and vocalist Jonas Swanson, bassist KJ Ward and drummer Juice Welch. 

Harmon and Swanson met at an open mic night at Velour Live Music Gallery when they were still in high school. They started playing with Welch, who grew up in the same city as Harmon, and former bassist Ethan Christensen at various venues throughout early 2018. The trio met current bassist Ward through the Salt Lake City local music circuit. 

“We ended up meeting KJ, our bassist, (when) he was playing guitar for a guy called Sammy Brue, who is super talented,” Swanson said. “We loved going to his shows and we played some shows together, actually. Then we ended up kind of stealing him for our band.”

The Backseat Lovers’ career took off after winning a battle-of-the-bands competition at Velour Live Music Gallery in June 2018. They also released their debut EP, “Elevator Days,” the same month. 

“I think venues like Kilby Court and Velour were where we found a place to express ourselves and community in Utah,” Swanson said. 

In January 2019, The Backseat Lovers released their first album, “When We Were Friends.” The band then went on a West Coast tour with the album.  

“Sometimes I miss the simplicity of those days, but then it's also so beautiful to get to share an experience with so many people,” Swanson said. 

“Kilby Girl” was one of the singles off of “When We Were Friends.” The song gained popularity, particularly during lockdown in 2020, Swanson said. The song charted at 29 on the Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay chart in 2021. 

“I remember working on that song in my parents’ garage,” Swanson said. “We were just having fun with it and not thinking about it that much. And I didn't really expect anything of it, honestly.” 

The Backseat Lovers kicked off their current tour on April 17 in Missoula, Montana. The band is visiting US cities they’ve never played in before, with two shows at each stop. Johnny’s Day Out is the opener for each show. 

“When you get a bunch of people together in a room, you can feel that energy of oneness,” Swanson said. “I love that feeling as we play shows like Lollapalooza, getting a lot of people together in a crowd like that, that feeling is really powerful and a huge reason why I love sharing music live.” 

Each city on the U.S. tour will have an in-person box office day. The band is doing their best to offer fair ticket prices with how common ticket scalping is, Swanson said. Each city’s box office will open at 12 p.m. the afternoon of the first show. Tickets are limited to two per person. 

The Backseat Lovers played their final show in Knoxville, Tennessee last night. The band’s next and final stop on the U.S. leg of the tour is The Admiral Theater in Omaha. 

“Two of my favorite artists are from Omaha: Conor Oberst and Elliot Smith. I don't know what to expect, but I'm excited to see what's up, because something's happening there,” Swanson said. 

After The Backseat Lovers play two shows in Omaha, they will be headed on a European tour over the first couple months of summer. They have an upcoming lineup of festival performances as well, including the Governors Ball in New York City on June 6. 

“We try to give it everything we have at shows and try to be the most like authentic versions of ourselves on stage,” Swanson said. “We try to do so because that's the best way to connect with people and that's what it's all about.” 

Tickets for Friday’s show are sold out online. Tickets are still available on the Admiral’s website for Thursday’s show.  

Published in the Daily Nebraskan, read here.

Photo courtesy of Duck Club