Songwriter Backstrom includes Leonard Cohen and Mark Lanegan among his influences but says they stretch all the way from Townes Van Zandt to the Rolling Stones and beyond.
Backstrom began working on the album “The Carousel” in early 2023 then recorded simple demos of each of the songs during the spring. He spent the rest of the year hiring different session musicians online to improve the sound and instrumental quality of the songs.
The following all contributed to the project, which was released in January 2024:
Bart Topher – vocals and lyricsTommy Jones – lyricsFransisco Paz – drums, percussion and instrumental productionLuca Giannotti – guitars and bassKimberly Faith – harmony vocalsHernan Ian – guitarsMaciek Szczycinski – bassGabe Wolf – mixing and mastering
Most of the album was recorded through online collaborations which individual tracks sent backwards and forwards around the world.
Backstrom is happy with the result, describing the album as having “a quite unique sound” and saying “it doesn’t sound so much like anything else out there”.
