Who’s Up Next? - The Backroom Rumors
We sit down with this burgeoning Houston-based trio and discuss their latest single, upcoming projects and more...
Joho: Thank you so for joining us. I've been super excited to talk to you guy. So to start off, who are The Backroom Rumors and how did you come together?
Lily: The Backroom Rumors are a three-piece indie rock band from Houston, Texas composed of one Bo Farnell, Evan Loftin, and Lily Pesikoff. Bo, our guitarist, and I went to school together from 6th through 12th grade. We met through our schools Jazz Band where I was the drummer and Bo was the guitarist when we were in 7th grade. We decided in 8th grade we wanted to start a band with some of our other high school buddies doing mainly covers with some originals. That band lasted until summer before senior year when Bo and I decided we wanted to start taking music and gigging a bit more seriously. It is also when I committed to both singing and drumming. The only the part we were missing, however, was a bass player. I reached out to my good friend Lily Afghani who went to HSPVA, our local Houston performing arts high school, and she gave me two names. The one who got back first got the gig. Thus, Evan Loftin appeared.
Joho: How has managing the production of your first album been with you all being in school throughout the country?
Bo: It’s been tough but doable. It’s a lot of sending back and forth notes to each other and our producer Aden, which gets tedious fast.
Joho: What does your creative process look like when you guys write? Do you guys just find something while jamming or are you each bringing some personal compositions in and building on those?
Evan: Usually we’re crafting a chord progression on our own. Lot of times going a week to months before showing it to the band. We like to bring our ideas still with little bits incomplete so the whole band can input. Sometimes there’s some unique idea only one of us can have that elevates the song to the next level.
Joho: In March you released “Rubber Band” What was the inspiration behind this single?
Lily: Oh god. I wrote Rubber Band senior year of high school on my guitar in my bedroom. The song is about three different people I was, wanted to be, or thought I could be with. The first lines about “I don’t like to have…” sheds a nice overarching theme of the mini stories that are told later in the verses. The song, while kinda a downer, is still up beat to show that like “yeah I know these qualities about me aren’t great, but I am aware and I am trying to work through them”. The song was also never as happy or funky until I showed it to Evan and Bo. Their dueling solo duet at the end is so good. We had no idea how to finish it after the 2nd chorus and Bo was like “guys…thoughts” and did his funk riff. Brilliant.
Joho: In “Rubber Band”, the final minute or so is completely instrumental. What element do you feel this final act brings to the song?
Bo: I think Rubber Band is all about capturing the oh-so-relatable anxious and awkward feeling of giving or receiving unwanted attention, but still how invigorating those interactions can be. I think the instrumental portion at the end really brings out the positive side of that feeling. It still feels nervous, but in a more excited, fast-paced way that really emphasizes how fun awkward moments can be.
Joho: I love the artwork for both singles. Who’s the artist behind this signature style for you guys? Do you feel like having a signature art style contributes to helping establish a signature sound?
Lily: Lucia Varma. She is Lucia Varma and she is insanely talented. Her brother and my brother were close friends in high school so we kinda knew each other in middle school, but once our brothers graduated high school we became super close. I feel like we do have a signature art style just because both singles and all the merchandise we have ever sold has been made by her. I have always loved that “mature-doodling” style as I call it, and she does it so well. I think it fits our vibe, or if not, we have made it fit our vibe. It’s a nice though to know that our art isn’t being made by some stranger, but just a great friend.
Joho: Your latest single “(Did I Say) Goodbye Too Soon” is one of my favorite releases of the year so far. How did this song come together?
Lily: This song has one of my favorite stories related to the band. Before the band officially formed, Bo and I went to a show in August of 2021 (Summer before senior year). At that show I really got the inspiration to take gigging and writing more seriously. Bo and I went back to my house that night and that is where we talked about really starting a band (the one that would soon become TBR). I wrote (DIS)GTS earlier that Summer and showed it to Bo that night after the show. He played it on guitar while I drummed and sang. The song got so much better and cooler and complete with the help of Bo and Evan, but (DIS)GTS really is the catalyst of The Backroom Rumors.
Joho: As one of my favorite bands in the Houston scene, I’ve seen you guys at venues all throughout the city. Do you have a favorite venue you’ve performed at here in Houston?
Evan: As we say our home ground is the JD fuller house shows though many of the momentous moments of our came from shows from Bohemeos or Super Happy Fun Land. These shows marked pivotal points in the growth of our band.
Joho: Do you have a favorite memory from a show you’ve played at?
Bo: I always love interacting with the crowd, which means I get to see all the fun things they do. One of my favs is when in JD’s basement we were finishing up a set with Ode to Dave Matthews and this friend of Evan’s was in the front with his face just melting off in awe. Those moments where people really look affected by our music and performances are the ones that get me most excited to perform.
Joho: What can we expect from your upcoming album?
Evan: We are dawging out we are going nuts. The songs we’ve recorded we have molded for a year and a half. From endless days of practice to live shows for our fans, we have the time to perfect them. So you’ll get what you hear when we play live and even more additions.
Joho: What’s next for The Backroom Rumors? Any upcoming shows or releases we should be looking out for?
Lily: We have many a shows. We have many a songs. We have many a announcements. Truth be told we’re just in the mixing stage for our first project. Stayed tuned for that! But overall, honestly, right now we are taking it day by day. Never did I think that people would care enough or there would be music good enough for us to release. With that mindset, our “what’s next” answer is really just go with the tide. Sure it would be fun to do this or that, but it’s just as much fun to be surprised with what happens.
Joho: Can we find your music on all streaming platforms? Where else can we stay updated on news about The Backroom Rumors?
Lily: All streaming sites at your service. Follow us on instagram @thebackroomrumors
