A duo of go getters, called The Backseaters, took some time to discuss some history, style, where the band is based, and what's their music scene like, with even details in regards to some new tunes!
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Originally, The Backseaters was started by Jake Cook as a way of writing and recording music for the sole purpose of listening to it on his iPod. After unveiling the rough demos to friends and family, he was encouraged to start taking it seriously, and putting the music out in to the world! The first official Backseaters release was the Mailboxes EP (December 2014)! This was the first, serious projection on the sound that would later evolve, but still encompass elements of Indie and Alternative Rock!
Fast forward to February 2015, Jake contacted an old co-worker who he vaguely remembered being a drummer, who also expressed interest in joining the band. From the first 60 seconds that David Jerusik was behind the kit, Jake knew that this was the guy! They played shows all throughout that spring, summer, and Fall before going back into the studio to record the follow up to Mailboxes. A Place To Rest Your Feet (April 2016) was a collaborative effort on both Jake and David’s part, and thus, The Backseaters’ first full-length album was released! Since the release they have promoted the album and gained some momentum, and are now about to head back in to the studio to record a slew of singles to release monthly until the release of their next EP!
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
Jake: When I decided to start taking this band to the next level (past my iPod) I knew that I needed a name. I also knew that I was madly in love with The Gaslight Anthem at the time. They have a song called The Backseat, off of their album “The 59’ Sound” that resonates a sense of nostalgia and hopefulness; which are two things that I catch myself getting lost in all of the time, and it only made sense to name the band after that song!
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Jake: We are from Denver, CO and the music here is very complex to describe. We have a lot of punk and hardcore bands in the smaller areas of our music scene, but as you reach a little further out, you find a lot of folky/indie bands, and EDM. The hard thing about making the music we make is that we really don’t fit in anywhere (laughs). All that said, there are so many amazingly talented bands in Denver and if I had to drop a couple names I would say If I Fail first and foremost! They have given us so many cool opportunities and they are like family to us. Some other great ones are Wild Trees, Water Aerobics, and People On Sunday! There are so many more, but for anyone reading this, this is a wonderful start!
David: The scene that's been up and coming here has so many diverse and different bands it's kind of hard sometimes to really nail down where we kind of fit in the spectrum. A lot of the bands that we're friends with are more indie bands with some post-hardcore background. So I guess if you were to really classify us it would be somewhere in there. As far as the local scene in Denver in general it ranges from lots of metalcore and pop punk bands to folk and even some electronica thrown in there as well. I'm a huge fan of our friends in Wild Trees as well as bands like Water Aerobics and a few others. It's been really cool to see it all kind of come to a head, and I'm excited to see what Denver produces next!
4. How would you describe your style?
Jake: We’ve surely said this before, but this is a very hard question for us because can’t necessarily just say we are Alternative Rock, because we also poses a lot of Indie influence; but we also don’t want to just stick with saying we’re a straight up Indie band. I usually just say “Indie/Alt Rock, but you really just have to listen for yourself and categorize it by your own ears!”
David: I think our band fits more into the indie crowd, but we as a collective band really enjoy heavier music so I feel like a lot of times those influences kind of come to fruition when we get into a room and play!
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
Jake: So far we have released one, four-song EP, and one, full-length album. When you listen to the music, it all sounds “like The Backseaters.” As generic as it sounds, there is definitely a progression, and advance in maturity between the two; and a lot of that has to do with personal experiences because that is what I tend to write about. But it also has a lot to do with the fact that this was the first time that I would worked with somebody else as far as The Backseaters go, so I had a lot of David’s influence on the record. His contributions and role in the band has only made it better, and it wouldn’t be what it is without him! As far as future releases, you can definitely expect progression. Its leaps and bounds ahead of Mailboxes, but still, even more advanced than APTRYF; which we only released five months ago!
David: As of 2016 we've released our first album, A Place to Rest Your Feet, and I think anyone listening to that is going to think that it's just a pure and straightforward record. I feel like what we were trying to do with the record was to create something honest. We spent probably a good 2 months tracking and re-tracking songs, and then mastering and mixing the record all in Jake's home studio. It was a real learning experience and we're excited for what's going to come next!
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
We do have new music in the works… a lot of it! Our plan is to go back in to the studio at the end of this month and start recording a slew of singles that will be released monthly, leading up to another official release of another EP. Shortly after APTRYF was released, the ideas had already started flowing, and we just want to share all we have, and all that we are with the world! So to answer your question, YES, we have a lot of music on the way for everybody!
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Right now, we have our big upcoming shows, and then back to recording. After that, I think we’ll probably just head on down to Madison Square Garden in New York and sell it out… That’s all we have for now!
David: The future is an open book so they say haha. Obviously we hope to keep playing shows and get bigger in Denver, and then hopefully after that we will start touring, and then we'll see what happens from there. It's definitely a question mark, but it's an exciting one to say the least!
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Soundcloud, Spotify, and Youtube are the major platforms where you can check us out for free. If you’re interested in purchasing the material, we’re on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp! If you just so happen to be attending an event we’re playing, you can always get it from us as well!
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
Jake: If I had to choose one thing that I want the listener to keep in mind when they listen to our music, all I can ask is that they hear the honesty. Our music comes from the heart and we put everything we have in to this band. It’s all us, and 100% honest and from the heart!
David: I think for me personally is I'd like people to listen to it, and be like, "Wow! This is being played for real!" One of the things I really take pride in about our music is the fact that it's honestly recorded. There's no masking of our sound through artificial instrumentation or heavy editing software. It's literally just two dudes in a basement playing music in it's closest setting apart from being live, and I think that's what makes our sound special.
Thank you for featuring us on your site! It’s always a pleasure to share our story and plans with anyone who cares to listen! LIKE us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and check out the tunes anywhere you can! Thank you!
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