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.
Knife In The Coffee
Car Seat Headrest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
he can't sleep cause there's music next door
I stay awake in case they need a band
he stays awake cause he's a nervous young man
I can't drink because the bars are closed
I can't go out cause I don't have nice clothes
Katie brought a deck of Tarot with her
Everybody hates a clown
Everybody dies and drowns
Everybody throws a party
Everybody throws a funeral
My dad's ghost hides under the bed
with a joke that'll knock em all dead
and all my enemies and all my friends
are on the floor right above my head
my potential has been fetishized
and my soul has been psychedelicized!!!!
Everybody hates a clown
Everybody dies and drowns
Everybody throws a party
Everybody throws a funeral
Get your swords out
Get your swords out
Open up in every way
Get your words out
Get your words out
What the hell are you trying to say?
Get your swords out
Get your swords out
I'm the only one fighting this war
Get your words out
Get your words out
I don't want this on the record anymore
I try to grow and I just get taller
I cleanse my soul and it just gets smaller
and I stole every single song that I wrote
from my seventeen-year-old ghost
but I'm haunted every day
by all the lyrics that he threw away
so if there's one thing he forgot to say
I hope it wasn't I love you cause I do
Everybody hates a clown
Everybody dies and drowns
Everybody throws a party
Everybody throws a funeral
I had a dream there were knives in my coffee
The lyrics to Car Seat Headrest's song "Knife In The Coffee" are full of vivid imagery and introspective musings. The song seems to be about the struggle to find one's place in the world, and the fear that one's potential may be squandered or turned against them. The singer's ghost, who symbolizes the more vulnerable and uncertain aspects of their personality, cannot sleep due to the loud music from next door. Meanwhile, the singer stays awake in case there is an opportunity to perform with a band. This contrast highlights the singer's desire to succeed, but also their inner doubts and insecurities.
The singer also mentions being unable to go out due to a lack of nice clothes and the bars being closed. This seemingly small detail underscores the singer's feelings of disconnection and not belonging. When the singer's friend reads their Tarot cards, they cannot hear the fortune, which suggests a lack of clarity or understanding about their future. The song then shifts to a more universal theme, as the singer notes the inevitability of death, but also the importance of gathering to celebrate and mourn.
The lyrics become even more surreal as the singer talks about their ghostly father hiding under the bed with a joke that will knock everyone dead. The mention of enemies and friends on the floor above also suggests a sense of being trapped or overlooked. The line "my potential has been fetishized, and my soul has been psychedelicized" reflects the singer's concern that their creative potential has been turned into a fetish, and that their sense of self has been distorted or manipulated. The song ends with a strange and unsettling dream about knives in coffee, which could be interpreted in many ways.
Line by Line Meaning
My ghost sleeps on the floor
An imaginary representation of oneself is lying on the ground
he can't sleep cause there's music next door
Cannot sleep due to noise pollution emitted from the neighbouring apartment
I stay awake in case they need a band
I remain conscious to provide musical entertainment to others
he stays awake cause he's a nervous young man
The apparition remains conscious because he is an anxious individual
I can't drink because the bars are closed
Unable to consume alcoholic beverages due to the lack of operational drinking establishments
I can't go out cause I don't have nice clothes
My wardrobe is inadequate, preventing me from attending social events
Katie brought a deck of Tarot with her
A deck of mystical cards was brought by an individual named Katie
I got my fortune read, I didn't hear a word
My future was divined, but the prophecy was not retained by my aural senses
Everybody hates a clown
The general populace harbours a disdain for comedic performers
Everybody dies and drowns
All living organisms shall perish, and some may expire submerged in water
Everybody throws a party
Most individuals host social gatherings
Everybody throws a funeral
All beings are given a farewell ceremony
My dad's ghost hides under the bed
The ethereal manifestation of my father is concealing itself beneath the sleeping apparatus
with a joke that'll knock em all dead
Possessing humorous material of a sufficient level to elicit a substantial amount of laughter
and all my enemies and all my friends
Both the individuals who hold resentment towards me and those who show support are present
are on the floor right above my head
They are positioned directly above me
my potential has been fetishized
My capabilities and aptitudes have been objectified excessively
and my soul has been psychedelicized!!!!
The essence of my being has been influenced by psychedelic substances
Get your swords out
Please retrieve your blades
Open up in every way
Be receptive without restriction
Get your words out
Please express your thoughts verbally
What the hell are you trying to say?
I am confused by your intended message
I'm the only one fighting this war
I am the sole participant in this conflict
I don't want this on the record anymore
I do not desire for this information to be preserved
I try to grow and I just get taller
I endeavour to advance, but I exclusively increase in height
I cleanse my soul and it just gets smaller
I attempt to purify my essence, but it merely diminishes in size
and I stole every single song that I wrote
I have plagiarised all of my musical compositions
from my seventeen-year-old ghost
I have appropriated these songs from my seventeen-year-old imaginary doppelganger
but I'm haunted every day
I am incessantly plagued by thoughts of my spectral copy
by all the lyrics that he threw away
The discarded verses created by him continue to distress me
so if there's one thing he forgot to say
In the event that he neglected to vocalise a solitary statement
I hope it wasn't I love you cause I do
I pray that the omitted words were not an expression of affection because I maintain those sentiments
I had a dream there were knives in my coffee
During my slumber, I visualised the presence of blades within my caffeinated beverage
Contributed by Logan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
adrian montecello
on sun hot
Sun, get me hot
Sun, get me hot
Sun, get me hot (Sun, get me high)
Sun, get me hot (Sun, get me hot)
Sun, get me hot (Sun, get me high)
Sun, get me hot (Sun, get me hot)
Sun, get me hot
Sun going down
Ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Sun hot, sun
Sun hot, sun
Sun hot, sun
Sun hot, sun
adrian montecello
on beach weak
Did you want to see me?
You didn't want to see me
Did you, old friend, I can you hear you stealing
Loving in the locker room
It's a careless mistake
How many people can fit into a room?
When you stop drinking everything
Just starts to not invite me to your party
Lock the door on me
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
Did you ask me anything?
I didn't ask you anything
Think I understand just what's pretending to
Not ignore me
Sitting at your amber dresser
Letter with an extra letter in my name
And we've known each other for far too long
To be losing punctuation on this alcohol
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
(See you there, see you there, see you there, Will)
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
(See you there, see you there, Will)
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
Did you want to see me?
You didn't want to see me
Did you, old friend, old friend, I can
Hardly remember all the times we slaved
Over our friendship
We had a share of hard times
Sign my yearbook, I don't wanna be in any more
Debt to Mister Ray-Bans you didn't even like when you were in them
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
And I hope you have a good time, hope you have a good time when you're there
Did you ask me anything?
I didn't ask you anything
Think I understand just what's pretending to-
Yes?
Um, I need to go out for a while and get the van
Sounds great
[?] and then I'm gonna go grocery shopping, so I should be back by 1:40. Have you eaten anything today?
No
No?
Just forgot
adrian montecello
on sun hot
posted the lyrics to the wrong song haha i have no idea how this site works
adrian montecello
on sun hot
Did you want to see me?
You didn't want to see me
Did you, old friend, I can you hear you stealing
Loving in the locker room
It's a careless mistake
How many people can fit into a room?
When you stop drinking everything
Just starts to not invite me to your party
Lock the door on me
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
Did you ask me anything?
I didn't ask you anything
Think I understand just what's pretending to
Not ignore me
Sitting at your amber dresser
Letter with an extra letter in my name
And we've known each other for far too long
To be losing punctuation on this alcohol
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
(See you there, see you there, see you there, Will)
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
(See you there, see you there, Will)
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
Did you want to see me?
You didn't want to see me
Did you, old friend, old friend, I can
Hardly remember all the times we slaved
Over our friendship
We had a share of hard times
Sign my yearbook, I don't wanna be in any more
Debt to Mister Ray-Bans you didn't even like when you were in them
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
See you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I'll see you there, yes I will
And I hope you have a good time, hope you have a good time when you're there
Did you ask me anything?
I didn't ask you anything
Think I understand just what's pretending to-
Yes?
Um, I need to go out for a while and get the van
Sounds great
[?] and then I'm gonna go grocery shopping, so I should be back by 1:40. Have you eaten anything today?
No
No?
Just forgot