Car Seat Headrest is an American indie rock band formed in Leesburg, Virgin… Read Full Bio ↴Car Seat Headrest is an American indie rock band formed in Leesburg, Virginia, and currently located in Seattle, Washington. The band consists of Will Toledo (vocals, guitar, piano, and synthesizers), Ethan Ives (guitar, bass, backing vocals), Seth Dalby (bass), and Andrew Katz (drums, percussion).
Beginning as a solo recording project by Toledo in 2010, Car Seat Headrest self-released 12 albums on the music platform Bandcamp, before signing to Matador Records in 2015. Car Seat Headrest would begin touring as a full band the following year.
History
2010–2014: Lo-fi and solo releases, from 1 to How to Leave Town
Car Seat Headrest began as the solo project of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Will Toledo (born William Barnes) shortly after he graduated high school. Toledo had previously released music under the alias Nervous Young Men, but after struggling to establish an audience, he decided to change tactics, choosing to try and release more experimental songs anonymously. Toledo chose the name "Car Seat Headrest" as he would often record the vocals to his early albums in the back seat of his car for privacy.
Throughout the summer of 2010, Toledo released his first four albums under the Car Seat Headrest name: 1, 2, 3, and 4. 1 and 2 incorporated less traditional song structures, with stream-of-consciousness lyrics, whereas 3 and 4 would begin to cement his lo-fi indie rock style. Following the numbered albums, Toledo began attending classes at Virginia Commonwealth University, releasing the Sunburned Shirts EP during his first semester. The Sunburned Shirts EP would later be partially combined with his fifth LP, 5, to create his first titled album, My Back Is Killing Me Baby, released in March 2011. Songs culled from 5 would later appear on the b-sides compilation album Little Pieces of Paper with "No" Written on Them.
After a difficult and lonely semester at VCU, Toledo transferred to the College of William & Mary, where he would release his next project, Twin Fantasy, a concept album centered on a relationship he was in at the time. Twin Fantasy would later be followed up by 2012's Monomania and Starving While Living EP.
Around this time, Toledo began performing live shows with fellow students Katie Wood, Austin Ruhf, and Christian Northover, recording and releasing a short live album in July 2013 entitled Live at WCWM: Car Seat Headrest at the university's studio. Toledo would release his next project the following month; a two-hour long double album entitled Nervous Young Man. Three of the songs, and the title of the album, were taken from his original project, Nervous Young Men, but had been heavily reworked and re-recorded. Released alongside Nervous Young Man, for those who paid $5 or more, was the outtakes compilation album Disjecta Membra.
Toledo's final solo release was 2014's How to Leave Town, an hour long EP with heavy electronic instrumentation and more ambitious song structures.
2015–2017: Matador Records, Teens of Style and Teens of Denial
Ethan Ives.
In September 2015, Car Seat Headrest announced on Facebook that he had signed an album deal with Matador Records. Toledo, who had recently graduated and moved to Seattle, recruited bassist Jacob Bloom and drummer Andrew Katz through Craigslist to record and tour his next album. In October 2015, Car Seat Headrest released the compilation album Teens of Style, their first to not be self-released exclusively via Bandcamp. Shortly after the album's release, Bloom left the group to attend medical school, and was replaced by bassist Ethan Ives.
Ives played bass throughout most of the recordings for the band's following release, but would later switch to guitar and other instruments, with Seth Dalby taking over on bass. Ives and Dalby were later cemented in these positions during live shows and future releases. The new album, created with traditional studio processes, Teens of Denial, was released on May 20, 2016. The album received universal acclaim, and brought the band a new wave of popularity.
In 2017, Car Seat Headrest released an alternate mix of their single, "War Is Coming (If You Want It)" through Bandcamp for one day, with profits going to the Transgender Law Center. The original mix of the track was released ten days later.
On December 13, 2017, the band released a re-recorded version of "Beach Life-In-Death", the second track on Twin Fantasy, through Spotify without prior announcement. This sparked fan rumors that the album would be re-recorded and released the following year. On December 27, 2017, an Amazon listing detailing a re-recorded version of Twin Fantasy was found by fans, and subsequently uploaded to the Car Seat Headrest subreddit. This was followed up by a listing on SRCVinyl.com with the date February 16, 2018.
2018–2019: Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) and Commit Yourself Completely
On January 9, 2018, Matador Records formally announced the release of the re-recording, entitled Twin Fantasy (Face to Face), alongside a re-release of the original album. Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) was released via Matador on February 16. The original, which has been re-titled Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror), was released on vinyl as a part of Record Store Day on April 21. On February 15, 2018, the band released a cover of "Fallen Horses" by Smash Mouth, who returned the favor by covering "Something Soon". Around the same time, they began touring with fellow Seattle-based band, Naked Giants, as a part of the group's expanded live lineup.
In August 2018, when asked about new material, Toledo confirmed that he was “demoing out stuff in Ableton,” adding “there might be some stuff that surprises people who only know us as a rock band, but I don’t think it will come as a surprise to people who are checking out all the deep cuts.” In January 2019, Andrew Katz confirmed the band was recording new music through a video uploaded on Instagram.
Following the tease of new music, the band began experimenting with new material at various live shows in December 2018, debuting the tracks "Weightlifters", "Hollywood", "Stop Lying To Me", and "You Know There's Someone Out There", soon followed by "Can't Cool Me Down" in February and March 2019 performances. All were officially released on the next album except for "Stop Lying To Me" and "You Know There's Someone Out There".
On June 12, 2019, Car Seat Headrest announced a new live album titled Commit Yourself Completely, featuring official recordings of performances from the Twin Fantasy tour from 2018. It was released the following week on June 17.
2020–present: Making a Door Less Open
On February 26, 2020, Car Seat Headrest announced their first studio album consisting of wholly new material since 2016's Teens of Denial, Making a Door Less Open. This announcement coincided with the release of "Can't Cool Me Down", the first single and second track off the album, and a release date of May 1, 2020. It marks a stylistic divergence from previous material, Toledo describing the album as containing elements of EDM, hip hop, futurism, doo-wop, soul and rock and roll. Three more singles were released to promote the album between March and April of that year: "Martin", "Hollywood" and "There Must Be More Than Blood". The release also coincided with the introduction of Trait, an alternative persona of Toledo's, featured prominently wearing a modified gas mask with blinking LED lights for eyes. The character had originally been created for the group's "comedic" side project, 1 Trait Danger, featuring Toledo alongside drummer Andrew Katz.
Making a Door Less Open was released with three separate versions across different formats: vinyl, CD and streaming, each with variations in track-list and specific musical elements. The album received a mixed reaction from fans, which pointed out the many divergences from the band's previous works, but received an overall score of 77 on review aggregate site Metacritic. Toledo noted that he and the band were working on a companion album for their latest release, while also looking for ways to improve the Trait mask to incorporate it into live performances.
Style
AllMusic biographer Mark Deming wrote that Car Seat Headrest created "moody and introspective lo-fi pop tunes that are melodic but structurally ambitious at once." Writing for Pitchfork, Jeremy Gordon stated that on Teens of Denial, "Will Toledo reaffirms that he is ahead of the pack as an imaginative singer-songwriter, capable of crafting dynamic indie rock." Ian Cohen of Pitchfork also described Toledo's music as "dense, confounding music that most often captures the giddy thrill of having access to recording equipment, of finally put a sound to the voice in your head."
Car Seat Headrest's influences include Radiohead, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Daniel Johnston, Destroyer, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Leonard Cohen, of Montreal, Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sufjan Stevens, Swans, They Might Be Giants, Why?, R.E.M., the Who, Nirvana, the Blackout, Neil Diamond, William Onyeabor, the Clash, the Cars, James Brown, DEVO, Queen, Rod Stewart, and Green Day.
Beginning as a solo recording project by Toledo in 2010, Car Seat Headrest self-released 12 albums on the music platform Bandcamp, before signing to Matador Records in 2015. Car Seat Headrest would begin touring as a full band the following year.
History
2010–2014: Lo-fi and solo releases, from 1 to How to Leave Town
Car Seat Headrest began as the solo project of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Will Toledo (born William Barnes) shortly after he graduated high school. Toledo had previously released music under the alias Nervous Young Men, but after struggling to establish an audience, he decided to change tactics, choosing to try and release more experimental songs anonymously. Toledo chose the name "Car Seat Headrest" as he would often record the vocals to his early albums in the back seat of his car for privacy.
Throughout the summer of 2010, Toledo released his first four albums under the Car Seat Headrest name: 1, 2, 3, and 4. 1 and 2 incorporated less traditional song structures, with stream-of-consciousness lyrics, whereas 3 and 4 would begin to cement his lo-fi indie rock style. Following the numbered albums, Toledo began attending classes at Virginia Commonwealth University, releasing the Sunburned Shirts EP during his first semester. The Sunburned Shirts EP would later be partially combined with his fifth LP, 5, to create his first titled album, My Back Is Killing Me Baby, released in March 2011. Songs culled from 5 would later appear on the b-sides compilation album Little Pieces of Paper with "No" Written on Them.
After a difficult and lonely semester at VCU, Toledo transferred to the College of William & Mary, where he would release his next project, Twin Fantasy, a concept album centered on a relationship he was in at the time. Twin Fantasy would later be followed up by 2012's Monomania and Starving While Living EP.
Around this time, Toledo began performing live shows with fellow students Katie Wood, Austin Ruhf, and Christian Northover, recording and releasing a short live album in July 2013 entitled Live at WCWM: Car Seat Headrest at the university's studio. Toledo would release his next project the following month; a two-hour long double album entitled Nervous Young Man. Three of the songs, and the title of the album, were taken from his original project, Nervous Young Men, but had been heavily reworked and re-recorded. Released alongside Nervous Young Man, for those who paid $5 or more, was the outtakes compilation album Disjecta Membra.
Toledo's final solo release was 2014's How to Leave Town, an hour long EP with heavy electronic instrumentation and more ambitious song structures.
2015–2017: Matador Records, Teens of Style and Teens of Denial
Ethan Ives.
In September 2015, Car Seat Headrest announced on Facebook that he had signed an album deal with Matador Records. Toledo, who had recently graduated and moved to Seattle, recruited bassist Jacob Bloom and drummer Andrew Katz through Craigslist to record and tour his next album. In October 2015, Car Seat Headrest released the compilation album Teens of Style, their first to not be self-released exclusively via Bandcamp. Shortly after the album's release, Bloom left the group to attend medical school, and was replaced by bassist Ethan Ives.
Ives played bass throughout most of the recordings for the band's following release, but would later switch to guitar and other instruments, with Seth Dalby taking over on bass. Ives and Dalby were later cemented in these positions during live shows and future releases. The new album, created with traditional studio processes, Teens of Denial, was released on May 20, 2016. The album received universal acclaim, and brought the band a new wave of popularity.
In 2017, Car Seat Headrest released an alternate mix of their single, "War Is Coming (If You Want It)" through Bandcamp for one day, with profits going to the Transgender Law Center. The original mix of the track was released ten days later.
On December 13, 2017, the band released a re-recorded version of "Beach Life-In-Death", the second track on Twin Fantasy, through Spotify without prior announcement. This sparked fan rumors that the album would be re-recorded and released the following year. On December 27, 2017, an Amazon listing detailing a re-recorded version of Twin Fantasy was found by fans, and subsequently uploaded to the Car Seat Headrest subreddit. This was followed up by a listing on SRCVinyl.com with the date February 16, 2018.
2018–2019: Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) and Commit Yourself Completely
On January 9, 2018, Matador Records formally announced the release of the re-recording, entitled Twin Fantasy (Face to Face), alongside a re-release of the original album. Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) was released via Matador on February 16. The original, which has been re-titled Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror), was released on vinyl as a part of Record Store Day on April 21. On February 15, 2018, the band released a cover of "Fallen Horses" by Smash Mouth, who returned the favor by covering "Something Soon". Around the same time, they began touring with fellow Seattle-based band, Naked Giants, as a part of the group's expanded live lineup.
In August 2018, when asked about new material, Toledo confirmed that he was “demoing out stuff in Ableton,” adding “there might be some stuff that surprises people who only know us as a rock band, but I don’t think it will come as a surprise to people who are checking out all the deep cuts.” In January 2019, Andrew Katz confirmed the band was recording new music through a video uploaded on Instagram.
Following the tease of new music, the band began experimenting with new material at various live shows in December 2018, debuting the tracks "Weightlifters", "Hollywood", "Stop Lying To Me", and "You Know There's Someone Out There", soon followed by "Can't Cool Me Down" in February and March 2019 performances. All were officially released on the next album except for "Stop Lying To Me" and "You Know There's Someone Out There".
On June 12, 2019, Car Seat Headrest announced a new live album titled Commit Yourself Completely, featuring official recordings of performances from the Twin Fantasy tour from 2018. It was released the following week on June 17.
2020–present: Making a Door Less Open
On February 26, 2020, Car Seat Headrest announced their first studio album consisting of wholly new material since 2016's Teens of Denial, Making a Door Less Open. This announcement coincided with the release of "Can't Cool Me Down", the first single and second track off the album, and a release date of May 1, 2020. It marks a stylistic divergence from previous material, Toledo describing the album as containing elements of EDM, hip hop, futurism, doo-wop, soul and rock and roll. Three more singles were released to promote the album between March and April of that year: "Martin", "Hollywood" and "There Must Be More Than Blood". The release also coincided with the introduction of Trait, an alternative persona of Toledo's, featured prominently wearing a modified gas mask with blinking LED lights for eyes. The character had originally been created for the group's "comedic" side project, 1 Trait Danger, featuring Toledo alongside drummer Andrew Katz.
Making a Door Less Open was released with three separate versions across different formats: vinyl, CD and streaming, each with variations in track-list and specific musical elements. The album received a mixed reaction from fans, which pointed out the many divergences from the band's previous works, but received an overall score of 77 on review aggregate site Metacritic. Toledo noted that he and the band were working on a companion album for their latest release, while also looking for ways to improve the Trait mask to incorporate it into live performances.
Style
AllMusic biographer Mark Deming wrote that Car Seat Headrest created "moody and introspective lo-fi pop tunes that are melodic but structurally ambitious at once." Writing for Pitchfork, Jeremy Gordon stated that on Teens of Denial, "Will Toledo reaffirms that he is ahead of the pack as an imaginative singer-songwriter, capable of crafting dynamic indie rock." Ian Cohen of Pitchfork also described Toledo's music as "dense, confounding music that most often captures the giddy thrill of having access to recording equipment, of finally put a sound to the voice in your head."
Car Seat Headrest's influences include Radiohead, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Daniel Johnston, Destroyer, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Leonard Cohen, of Montreal, Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sufjan Stevens, Swans, They Might Be Giants, Why?, R.E.M., the Who, Nirvana, the Blackout, Neil Diamond, William Onyeabor, the Clash, the Cars, James Brown, DEVO, Queen, Rod Stewart, and Green Day.
America
Car Seat Headrest Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Car Seat Headrest:
(Joe Gets Kicked out of School for Using) Drugs with Friends [But Says This Isn't a Problem] I get to know myself every weekend and I'm weak Hangovers…
1937 State Park (I never thought it would happen to me but…)x2 No one…
Afterglow Mama said all your dreams will come true If you sleep…
Anchorite You never stopped smoking, but I forgive you My words and…
beach death (Last) last night I drove to Harper's ferry and I…
beach fagz Woke up, had a boner Dragged a comb across my boner I…
Beach Life-in-Death (Last) last night I drove to Harper's ferry and I…
Beast Monster Thing and any remaining interest my friends have in me is just…
Big Jacket You can have my iPod You can have my guitar You can…
Boxing Day The early bird catches the worm, I have worms in…
Broken Birds Lying on the floor There was so much of you to…
Burning Man Back from the sandstorms Back to looking at myself in the…
can (Cool water on my brow) (Can't cool me down, can't cool…
Connect The Dots (Hahahaha, it's all downhill from here!) Little boy says I'…
Cosmic Hero If you really wanna make it last You could commit yourself…
Crows Hey boys, stop being so mean Calling your girlfriend names …
Cute Thing I got so fucking romantic I apologize Lemme light your cigar…
Deadlines I never see the threat too soon The blood on the…
Death At The Movies It's hard to adjust your eyes after the matinee From the…
Destroyed By Hippie Powers I am freaking out in my mind In a house that…
Don't Remind Me I was thinking of ways I could get you Now I'm…
Dreams Fall Hard Last night I dreamed I had to tell My parents about…
Drugs With Friends I get to know myself every weekend and I'm weak Hangovers…
Drunk Driver/Killer Whales In the backseat of my heart Our love tells me I'm…
Famous Matter Please let this matter No one can see Matter Please l…
Famous Prophets Apologies to future mes and yous But I can't help feeling…
father my back is killing me baby I don't have any comfortable…
father flesh in rags My back is killing me baby I don′t have any comfortable…
Fill In The Blank (What's up, guys? You are now listening to uh, Car Seat…
Golden Years Golden years, gold whop whop whop Golden years, gold whop wh…
Happy News For Sadness You can never tell the truth but you can tell something…
High to Death I fell over I fell onto the ground (Ooh) I wish I…
Hollywood I'm sick of violence Sick of money Sick of drinking Sick of …
Homes A house without a piano Just a stereo I used to play…
hymn I feel it in my heart Feel it in my heart Feel…
I Hate Living Sick in the hot, hot bathroom Glasses steamed, I couldn′t se…
I Wanna Sweat I'm working pretty hard to keep it up I don't know…
I Want You To Know That I'm Awake/I Hope That You're Asleep Bullshit, love, bullshit, love is bullshit I am not allowed…
is this dust really from the Titanic The cool thing about having a lot of artist friends…
It's Only Sex The other night I cried while thinking of having sex…
Ivy No, later this is a Frank Ocean song I thought that…
Jerks Do you want an accident to happen? Don't think I don't…
Joe Goes To School I saw a horse and it saw me You know their…
Jus' Tired I'm probably just tired I'll love you again in the morning I…
Just What I Needed / Not Just What I Needed I have nothing but questions I need answers, those would fil…
Kimochi Warui Hey Will, why don′t you cut the shit And tell me…
Knife In The Coffee My ghost sleeps on the floor he can't sleep cause there's…
lawns December 27th: my dad walks in. I was 18 y. o. He said…
Life Worth Missing As if on cue They lit a firework The sky reeled back And…
Los Borrachos Being sad's so boring I'm taking a vacation I'm driving down…
Martin Justin I will find you In the winter I will find you When th…
Maud Gone When did our heart Stop beating? Used up all the heat When d…
Misheard Lyrics (Feat. Nora Knight) Everything you say is a bridge Everything you do is water…
My Boy My boy, we don't see each other much My boy, we…
My Boy (Twin Fantasy) I wrote this in the dark after telling a dude…
Nervous Young Inhumans You should've seen my cursive back then Every letter was abo…
no passion betraying no emotion underneath your aviators and your fligh…
Not What I Needed I have nothing but questions I need answers, those would fil…
Oh! Starving Goodbye, secret files When I′m gone, all this information wi…
open-mouthed boy Last night I had a dream I dreamed that I was…
Overexposed You used to have a future, now you don′t even…
Overexposed (Enjoy) You used to have a future, now you don't even…
p.o.w Prisoners of war! They won't walk another step. They're just…
Plane Crash Blues This plane is going down Anything to make you feel better At…
portrait of the artist as a young fag My fingerprints are getting burned off From using the too ho…
psst send me a letter send me your glow i got it bad…
Reuse The Cels I should be glad to have you back But this time…
Romantic Theory I didn't like you anyways You always spoke so quiet I had…
Sleeping With Strangers will anyone be surprised will anyone not say they're surpris…
Sober To Death Lovely lovely in your jeans, frenzy another movie that I did…
Some Strange Angel I don't feel the fear anymore Carry me through your door Whe…
something soon biting my clothes to keep from screaming taking pills to kee…
Souls That wasn′t any better at all That didn't make me feel…
Stoop Kid This city has its share of stairs & if you…
Stop Smoking Stop smoking, we love you. Stop smoking, we love you. Stop s…
strangers if I can fit my dreams you say the same things…
Sunburned Shirts I haven't looked at the sun for so long I'd forgotten…
The Ballad of the Costa Concordia I used to like the mornings I'd survived another night I'd w…
the drum The drum wakes up He'll have a real black eye this…
The Ending of Dramamine The drunk's face breaks into sweat As his friend falls under…
The Gun Song I'm not hung up on you anymore, but here's why…
There Must Be Blood I saw, I saw, I saw, I saw, I saw Saw,…
Times To Die All of my friends are getting married All of my friends…
Twin Fantasy My boy, we don't see each other much My boy, we…
Unforgiving Girl (That's e- hahaha, one, two, three, four!) What a glorious …
Vincent and half the time I want to go home and half…
We Can't Afford We can′t afford your depression anymore We can't afford this…
We Can't Afford (Your Depression Anymore) We can't afford your depression anymore We can't afford this…
Weightlifters Back when I had time to dream I dreamed of ordinary…
What's With You Lately Oh, I never heard back from you He looks like you…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
@davidbowie2745
You can drive across the whole thing
in four days if you really wanted
leaving custom thank you notes
in all the houses you ever haunted
in this whole solar system
we've only met one type of life
it's the living kind of life
and it's not one I recognize
America
I said "excuse me" to the ocean
because I thought I had got in its way
at first I didn't think it heard me
but then I saw it wave
you can spend every living moment thinking
how can I get out alive?
but is it really then, can you really call it
hey man, just shut up and drive
I thought we'd be on the road all night when that ice storm hit in Texas
and when we pulled into the gas station it was like a frozen oasis
oh, sweet mama, does that neon sign shine for me?
Is there a street where my name glows all through the night?
and I've never read (America)
no I've never been (America)
I just never went (America)
I have never seen (America)
all my fantasies are faking orgasms
they're only in it for the money I made up for them
I trade in ideas, opinion and artistry
and my face is on every dollar
this is heaven but heaven is here
this is heaven but heaven is hard
because your lover is listening to music you don't know
and you're tangled up in the headphone wires
you know our problems, they don't end
just because we get boy/girlfriends
is this your salvation plan?
there's only one type of love
it's the loving kind of love
but when you're mad at me it's the end of times
and I'm mad at you all the other times
have I ever really been in love?
I guess I've never really been in love
have I ever really
not in the way I'm thinking
real life's a mess
but at least you're not paying rent
you've been making it, maybe even breaking even
you oughta be content
it doesn't make sense
you're still sitting on the fence
when the yard is yours
and it was money well spent
and I've never read
no, I've never been
I just never went
I have never seen
America
America
democracy
biographies
civil rights! basically
bright lights! living in the city
second prize in a beauty pageant
200 dollars, this is life, this is your life!
America!
this is heaven
this is the place
@nussymussy
doesn't have the 12345678 :/
@mateostenberg
Best goddamn car seat headrest song and easily one of the best songs of all time. The lyrics, the chords, that damn voice! Ugh, what a great song
@MichaelTurner856
ABSOLUTELY
@thc_freebaser
Not best. That's discounting so much.
@sheaiscontent4023
i dont see it like you do, especially when there's songs like famous prophets and plane crash blues out there
@niamhstimpson
that ending was iconic
@bren9jo
6:10
I love those smiles so much
@zoecotton9494
I want this specific version on spotify without stupid local files SO BAD
@sohji9412
Ethan viscously playing the base is my favorite thing
@sandwichyourself4481
Sohji i love you profile pic!