Will Toledo

Last updated

Will Toledo
Car Seat Headrest (48986709682).jpg
Will Toledo in 2019
Background information
Birth nameWilliam James Barnes
Also known as
  • Mortis Jackrabbit
  • Trait
  • Nervous Young Men
  • Car Seat Headrest
Born (1992-08-23) August 23, 1992 (age 32) [1] [2]
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Guitar
  • Keyboards
  • Bass
  • Drums
Member of
Formerly ofMr. Yay Okay
Website https://carseatheadrest.com/

William James Barnes [3] (born 23 August, 1992), known professionally as Will Toledo, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer. He is the founder of the indie rock band Car Seat Headrest. He grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, and moved to Seattle, Washington in 2014 to pursue his music career. [4]

Contents

Car Seat Headrest

Toledo started Car Seat Headrest as a solo project shortly after graduating from high school, choosing the name as he would frequently record his vocals in the back seat of his family's car for privacy. [5] He previously released music under other aliases, such as The 63rd Fret and Nervous Young Men. [6] [7] He was also a member of the band Mr. Yay Okay. However, since he struggled to establish an audience through these projects, he chose to try to release more experimental songs anonymously. [8]

Will Toledo performing with Car Seat Headrest at The Showbox in 2018. Car Seat Headrest at The Showbox Square Crop.jpg
Will Toledo performing with Car Seat Headrest at The Showbox in 2018.

In Car Seat Headrest, Toledo provides vocals, guitar, piano, and synthesizers. Much of Toledo's songwriting is influenced by depression and mental illness. [9] Toledo is also one half of music duo 1 Trait Danger with current Car Seat Headrest drummer Andrew Katz, they currently have released three albums together. [10] [11]

Personal life

Toledo graduated from Loudoun County High School in 2010, [12] and subsequently enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University. After one lonely semester, Toledo transferred to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he majored in English and minored in religious studies. [13] [14] He graduated from William and Mary in 2014 and moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue Car Seat Headrest professionally. Toledo is gay [15] and is a member of the furry fandom. [15] He is one-fourth Mexican. [16]

Despite struggling with mental unrest, Toledo does not consider himself depressed or mentally ill. [9] He has previously faced autoimmune complications since early adulthood, and developed histamine intolerance after testing positive for COVID-19 while on tour in 2022. [15] [17] He has since used social media to raise awareness for long COVID. [18]

Discography

Car Seat Headrest

As Nervous Young Men

Mr Yay Okay

1 Trait Danger

Production

YearReleaseArtist
2011D'UrbervilleThe Whiting Brothers
2012Sleeping in HerndonNaked Days
2014Chai KneesNaked Days
2015Four Ways To Say Goodbye ForeverAmerican Holly
2017Gold ConnectionsGold Connections
2019Midnight Stef Chura
2021My Head HzNaked Days
How To Drive A BusI've Made Too Much Pasta

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Twin Fantasy, later re-titled Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror), is the sixth solo album by American indie rock musician Will Toledo, under his alias Car Seat Headrest. Since its release in 2011, the album has amassed an online cult following, with the internet forums 4chan and Reddit playing major roles in the album's success. A re-recording of the album was released via Matador Records on February 16, 2018.

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"Beach Life-in-Death" is a song written by American rock musician Will Toledo, that was originally released on Twin Fantasy (2011), his sixth album under his Car Seat Headrest alias. After Car Seat Headrest expanded to become a four-piece band, the song was re-recorded and re-released on December 13, 2017 as the lead single for their album Twin Fantasy (2018), which was a complete studio re-recording of the original album.

References

  1. ↑ Person, Some. "Will Toledo". WeBlogy. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  2. ↑ Glide. "Happy 30th Birthday - Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest". Glide Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  3. ↑ Martin, Robey (June 27, 2017). "Q&A: Car Seat Headrest". richmondmagazine.com. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  4. ↑ Swick, Shaun (December 23, 2015). "The Wunderkind: Will Toledo". City Arts Magazine. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ Hsu, Hua (November 2, 2015). "How Musicians Get Famous Today". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Music | Nervous Young Men". nervousyoungmen.bandcamp.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  7. ↑ carseatheadrest. "car seat headrest". Tumblr. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  8. ↑ carseatheadrest (June 29, 2018). Car Seat Headrest - I Haven't Done Sh*t This Year (TIDAL Documentary: Part One) . Retrieved July 24, 2024– via YouTube.
  9. 1 2 Domanick, Andrea (July 1, 2016). "A Long Drive with Car Seat Headrest". Vice. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  10. ↑ "1 Trait Danger". 1 Trait Danger. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Meet Car Seat Headrest's Comedic Side Project 1 Trait Danger". Hard Noise. September 7, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  12. ↑ Dellinger, Hannah (February 11, 2016). "Featured by Rolling Stone and NPR, Leesburg native Car Seat Headrest is having one heck of a year".
  13. ↑ https://fbiradio.com/car-seat-headrest-interview-how-its-possible-to-make-it-through-college-and-release-thirteen-albums-by-age-23/
  14. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/car-seat-headrest-will-toledo-interview-kanye-west-7595913/
  15. 1 2 3 "Car Seat Headrest's Will Toledo Takes Off the Mask". Paste Magazine. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  16. ↑ https://carseatheadrest.tumblr.com/post/32594589484/are-you-mexican
  17. ↑ https://x.com/carseatheadrest/status/1565410487105454082
  18. ↑ https://x.com/carseatheadrest/status/1768748179384864944
  19. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/artist/8218378-Mr-Yay-Okay


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