BACKSEAT LOVERS PLAYING IN ATHENS FOR FIRST TIME EVER

   Salt Lake City indie rock band the Backseat Lovers will perform at the Georgia Theater on March 3 at 8:30 p.m. to a sold-out crowd. 

   The group consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Joshua Harmon, lead guitarist Jonas Swanson, drummer Juice Welch and bass guitarist KJ Ward. They are touring with Over Under, which is another band from Utah. 

   Emily Dingus, the general manager of the Georgia Theater, said that the theater’s rich history, size and “vibe” make it ideal for bands like the Backseat Lovers. 

   “The Georgia Theater is kind of like the holy grail of Athens,” Dingus said. “We have a really awesome team, and we really take care of the artists that come through.”

   Dingus said the band found success on college radio stations and TikTok. This was instrumental in letting the concert sell out the venue’s 1,000-person capacity, Dingus said. 

   The discography of the Backseat Lovers includes their 2018 self-produced EP, “Elevator Days,” and their 2019 album, “When We Were Friends,” which includes their hit single "Kilby Girl." The group is also working on unreleased music that showcases the “co-writing chemistry” between Harmon and Swanson, according to their management website.

   The band began recording in early 2018. It formed when lead vocalist Joshua Harmon and drummer Juice Welch met and began arranging some of Harmon’s songs. Harmon later met lead guitarist Jonas Swanson outside an open mic event in Provo, Utah. 

   The tour is traveling far beyond Athens. The artists will go on to visit Florida, California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, Scotland, England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany later this spring, according to the band’s welcome page. They will also play at the May 2022 Boston Calling Music Festival and the July 2022 Mo Pop Music Festival in Detroit.

   For more information about the event, see the Georgia Theater website.