“The New York indie rockers share an anthemic and storming new rager, their first of the year…Tinged with disco tendencies and grounded in a dance-laden indie sound, the new cut showcases the energy and effervescence of the band” Wonderland Mag
“’Turn Off The Lights’ is a burst of sharply written indie garage rock built atop bluesy guitar licks and a soaring chorus. On the verses, vocalist Alex Gomez’s tumbling, rapid-fire delivery makes the track feel like it could be a forgotten early Arctic Monkeys cut. Yet, on the chorus, he adopts a looser melodic croon, transforming the track into a sing-along anthem before guitarist Harry Ruprecht launches into a dazzling climactic solo.” Under the Radar
“Brighter Lights” feels like being thrown into a rock club. The pulsating guitars light up the room and Alex Gomez takes the mic. It’s wild how electric they can get their music to sound and just tells me The Backfires are here for BRAT summer.” New Curious City
“The Backfires, “Brighter Lights” — We take a break from hard-to-describe outliers to give you a really good rock track. It has great riffs, great hook and really good vibe. The New York City quartet aimed to write a song that sounds like New York and came up with something that sounds like it came from that city circa 2003, when bands like the Bravery Yeah Yeah Yeahs where making their mark. it’s got the brashness of a band that’s listened to a lot of punk and the four-on-the-floor beat that gets you to the dance floor. It’s really good, you guys. You should listen.” Riff Magazine
January 24, 2025 – Indie rock band, The Backfires are thrilled to release their debut album This Is Not An Exit that is out now on all platforms.
The band says, “On paper, The Backfires have been a band since 2018. But for us, there’s a feeling we only really became a band in 2022 when we started living together in New York City, practicing and writing in a rundown rehearsal studio six nights a week. We didn’t know at the time that we were writing our debut album This Is Not An Exit, but it came together semi-accidentally as we honed the way we wanted to sound on stage.
While the name is derived from a common safety sign on the backstage door of Mercury Lounge, where we played our first show in New York, the record is about all of the missteps and growing pains of your early twenties. It’s the soundtrack of our journey so far and a love letter to the guitar music we grew up on.”
In support of their new music the band will be on the road for their 2025 Winter Headline Tour. The tour kicks off January 26 2025. Tickets are on sale at https://thebackfires.com/. See all tour dates below.
About The Backfires
Formed in 2018, when Alex Gomez (vocals) left New York to study in London and met Harry Ruprecht (guitar) and Max Wanduragala (drums). The three of them then recruited Matt Walter (bass) before they recorded their debut EP, ‘Consider the Backfires’ in the hazy midst’s of lockdown. In 2021 the band recorded singles, ‘Blindsided’ and ‘Reflections On My TV’ in London before permanently relocating to New York City in 2022.
The band are a formidable live act, having toured the US with the Silversun Pickups, Courteeners, and the Mysterines as well as headlining their own shows, and with their debut record coming in 2025, it looks like this could be the year the band make waves around the world.
Tour Dates
January 26 – Pittsburgh, PA – Smiling Moose
January 28 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
January 30 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean
January 31 – Columbus, OH – The Basement
February 01 – Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s
February 02 – Toronto, ON – Hard Luck Bar
February 04 – Boston, MA – Sonia
February 05 – New York, NY – Bowery
February 08 – Washington, DC – Atlantis
February 11 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
February 12 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
February 14 – Orlando, FL – Will’s Pub
February 15 – Tampa, FL – New World Music Hall
February 18 – Nashville, TN – The End
February 20 – Dallas, TX – Cambridge Room
February 21 – Austin, TX – Empire Control Room
February 22 – Houston, TX – Bronze Peacock
February 25 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
February 26 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
February 28 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
March 01 – Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret
March 02 – Portland, OR – Mission Theater
March 04 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Shop
March 05 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
March 06 – San Diego, CA – Voodoo Room at House of Blues
March 08 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
March 09 – Las Vegas, NV – AREA 15
March 12 – St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
March 15 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry
