Iman’s Space

January 24, 2020

Backseat Vinyl has a charming sound.

Listening to them reminds me of all the things that I love; dancing at random intervals while no one is watching, hot summer days, rainy evenings, late nights and the sweet sound of rock and roll. Their music has a nostalgic element that I can’t quite place my finger on. It might be the exciting sounds of Keenan Clarke bringing the melodies alive with his drumming skills. It might be the electrical vibrations coming from the guitarists, Clara Louise and Nate Fuller. It could just be the simple sound of Nate’s vocals bringing everything to life in an extraordinary way with his candid lyrics. One thing is for sure, their music has a distinctive sound to it; music cannot be separated from the lyrics, nor can the lyrics be separated from the music.

Here at The Aesthete, we bring our readers excellent content. For this article, I’ve taken some time with the band to decipher their creations. Speaking on behalf of the band is the amazingly gifted Nate Fuller.

Iman: So, Nate and Keenan, you have a very close bond. I think that’s part of why the music you create is so special. Where did the creation of Backseat Vinyl begin?

Backseat Vinyl: Keenan and I met in high school. I never had any classes with him, but I heard that he was a drummer and I asked him to help me with some demos. After we made the demos we kind of just fell into a band together. We really didn’t like each other that much to begin with, but it was still a brotherly bond, you know? Where you’re family, but you just hate each other. Then you grow up and actually learn to appreciate and love each other.

Iman: The first song I fell in love with by Backseat Vinyl is Die Cool. I remember listening to it for the first time and just being utterly speechless. What was your inspiration for that song?

Backseat Vinyl: Thank you. Die Cool was about a lot of things. That whole album is all over the place, but that’s kind of the point. Die Cool was mainly about my dad. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad, but when I was younger I didn’t want to be like him. I was walking around and tripping with my buddy a lot after high school, and we would always talk about how generic our dads are. Guess we just had beef with our dads. I always mention that I love my dad before I play that song live.

Iman: In a world where music is practically the cornerstone to society and everyone is searching for songs which essentially sound the same, how do you manage to stay true to your artistic vision? How do you manage to bring genuine music into being?

Backseat Vinyl: That’s a hard one. From the beginning we didn’t really get it. We were trying to sound like other bands we liked. It just took time. Now we don’t care about what other people like. We’re not here to please people. We make music we like and if it sounds cool we roll with it.

Iman: What made you choose the name “Backseat Vinyl” for your band?

Backseat Vinyl: Keenan came up with the name. Coming up with a band name sucks. It’s literally so hard. But Keenan just had a bunch of garbage in his backseat and he was really high when he was looking at it. That’s how it came to be. We had some other names on the drawing board, but they just didn’t cut it.

Iman: I love the song Late Nights Alone. I think it’s probably one of my favorite songs in the history of music. It’s got such a beautiful sound to it and I love the lyrics. It’s so meaningful in so many different ways. What’s the story behind the song?

Backseat Vinyl: Late Nights Alone was taking a turn in our music, at least for me, lyrically. I wanted to start getting more personal with my lyrics. So Late Nights became that turning point. The song is a lot of tug and pull. Wanting to be with someone because you want what you can’t have. Then once you have it, you mess it up, because you don’t want it anymore. And then the cycle repeats.

Iman: Backseat Vinyl has recently released a new song called Heads. The lyrics are the so truthful and so honest. What does it feel like to be that vulnerable with your listeners?

Backseat Vinyl: We were very excited to release Head[s], but I was nervous to release it due to how personal I got with the lyrics. We all have our moments; you know? And that song is a total meltdown. But we’re happy with how the tune came out. I’m glad we went about it the way we did. I can’t hide it, I’m a crybaby. Hope you’re into that stuff!

Being an avid listener to Backseat Vinyl, this interview was truly an amazing experience for me, and I can’t wait for more amazing music from them. Go ahead and give them an online round of applause, darlings!

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