I can't recall the exact day, but sometime at the end of this summer I stumbled upon a social media video of some masked guys making the kind of contemporary jazz that sweeps you off your feet. I went on with my life, and a few days later - same guys in my feed. I started listening carefully, and soon enough I was hooked. That's how my PUSHBACK obsession was born. They are a 4-piece blending the raw spontaneity of live jazz with the infectious energy of electronic dance music, moving between house, jungle, drum & bass, and trap jazz, with every recording captured live and completely free of pre-recorded elements. Certainly a main reason to be passionate about (Nu) Jazz Today playlist.
What felt weird (at the time) was that I couldn't find their music anywhere. That was both exhilarating and frustrating, until the 15th of September, when I got a notification about their debut single, "V1 / Rotate". Remember that feeling I talked about above? Being swept off your feet, like the first time the lingering feeling of pure love channels through your spine. It is hope, and fear, and excitement, all at once. Just like when I met my wife for the very first time. I obviously can't compare the two, but damn, hearing that first single was something special!
I've been championing up-and-coming artists for almost 15 years, so I couldn't be happier to be the first person to ever interview these amazing guys. Mark my words: 15 years from now, I'll look back at this article and feel incredibly proud to have been here, right now, at the very beginning of their journey.
I hope you enjoy our chat together and that this interview sheds more light on the amazingness of the PUSHBACK jazz four-piece.
ps their new single, "", will be out on the 17th of Nov - pre-save here
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Hi guys, really excited to have you on Stereofox. I think that's your first interview? Can each of you do a short one-sentence intro?
Hey Ivo! Glad to be here. This is our first official interview, and we're very grateful to you for having us!
SAX: Hey there! I’m a saxophone player (among other miscellaneous things) based here in Nashville, TN. I grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, and love PUSHBACK and the other boys immensely. I usually spend my time playing volleyball, basketball, and Magic! The Gathering.
TRUMPET: Howdy do! This is DJ Speakermouth. I play trumpet and synthesizers. I’ve been working on native plant gardens and enjoy causin’ a ruckus for good.
KEYS: What is uppppp, Stereofox community! Thanks for having us! I’m a multi-instrumentalist from Memphis (TN), and boy do I love a good sailboat.
DRUMS: Hey guys! I’m a drummer and audio engineer from New Delhi, India, and I love tennis, video games (namely soulslikes and FIFA, unfortunately), and delicious food of all kinds (except oysters).
You’re all session and tour musicians who travel a lot. How do you make sure you find time to create music?
We do our best to essentially fill every free day in town together with shows, rehearsals, or writing to make new music! Many of the guys who are traveling all the time for gigs gravitate towards this project we've created at home in Nashville as a safe space to unwind and create meaningful music that speaks to their hearts. It helps that we're all great friends as well, so our time together is always something to look forward to as a recharge from the road rather than another draining "work" project.
How important is the feeling of friendship when it comes to making music? Did you guys know each other before forming the band?
Friendship is huge! But the cool thing about music is that it can both strengthen lasting relationships and create brand new ones. Three of us have been playing together for about 3-4 years in various groups around town, and PUSHBACK has become a vessel for our relationships to grow even stronger than before. However, our fourth member was a surprise friend who was gifted to us by the power of the musical community here in Nashville!
The first time the four of us played together, we happened to book a random gig at a local dive bar in town called Wilburn Street Tavern. We had no plan, no rehearsal, just a call from our keys player to show up and make some music! He took the liberty of inviting a friend he had recently become closer with to join us on trumpet, and we all left that night feeling like the stars had aligned for us. The unique music we made and the fun we had that night were unlike anything any of us had experienced yet.
You champion live music in its truest form. Do you think in the age of over-consumerism and AI, that’s the winning formula?
100% YES.
We are vehemently opposed to the use of AI in the creation of art. We pride ourselves on creating music completely live - no tracks, no pre-programmed tricks. Just some analog gear and real musicians using our hearts, minds, and ears, and collaborating on the spot. We mess up sometimes, too - actually, we "messed up" in the recordings we've already released! Imperfection is part of the beauty of human-made music, and it seems to have connected with our audiences. We think it's pretty clear that the world still craves live music and human connection, so we are just focused on delivering exactly that.
How long do you think you’ll be able to keep the balaclavas on, and why do you wear them? Is it a way to make sure people just focus on the music, or do you really not want to reveal your identities?
At this point, the masks are a part of our identity. We initially decided to wear them on a whim before our first live recording session back in February of this year (our first official show as PUSHBACK). Slowly, they've come to really symbolize how little we care for recognition or personal accolades. At the end of the day, we just want to make beautiful music, and that's what it's all about.
Do people in your everyday life know about PUSHBACK, or are they oblivious?
For the most part, everyone close to us knows about PUSHBACK. However, it's always funny when there's the occasional realization from a friend who hadn't been keeping up with our social media recently when they finally connect the dots. We are super proud of what we've created and are lucky to have friends and family who support us and put up with us talking about it all the time!
I discovered you guys on TikTok, where you seem to be absolutely killing it. How important has social media been for your growth, and how do you keep it from becoming a source of pressure? It can be a bit of a double-edged sword for artists, so I’m curious how you find the balance between promoting your music and staying true to the creative process.
In an effort to not give social media too much credit because of the detrimental nature we believe it has overall on our society, we would say that our growth as individuals and as a group would have happened and been meaningful with or without the social media success we've found. The simple fact that the four of us happened to stumble across each other and have an opportunity to create cool original music together is enough success for us!
However, as we are all realistic enough to know that social media is now a necessity to reach new audiences, we take pride in the little pockets of people we've managed to access by posting our songs on the internet. We have made a conscious effort to make sure any content we put out is a true representation of our artistry and musicianship. Essentially, every single clip has just been raw footage taken from the audience on a phone, if not from our live studio session. We post clips with little mistakes all the time, doing our best to get over ourselves and be proud of what we're putting out into the world. We're always still learning and getting better and better with every show/rehearsal/recording. What you see on our profile is what you get on our recorded music and at any show you come to see!
What inspires you outside of music?
We all have different backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations, so this varies between band members, but for the most part, we strive to be people that our friends and families can be proud of.
Nashville is known for its incredible musicianship, but often through the lens of country, rock, and folk. How has being based there shaped your sound, and do you feel part of a particular scene?
Nashville is an amazing city to live and work in as musicians. For all of us, being here has provided invaluable experience playing gigs in all kinds of different scenarios with different types of music. In any given week, one of us could be on tour with a pop artist, one with a Christian artist, one playing in a recording session for a brand new indie singer-songwriter's first-ever single, and one playing jazz at a local club or bar. And the next week, all of those roles could be reversed. We do what we can as professional musicians to make a living, and becoming well-versed in so many musical scenarios has opened all of our ears up to trying to create a fresh, unique sound with PUSHBACK. It's pretty difficult to nail down exactly what genre of music we create, and we love that :)
What’s next for the band? I know there’s a new single coming up, but after that?
We've got our next single "Redeye" coming out on November 17th! Besides that, we are currently in the process of mixing and mastering a full-length album that we recorded live at East Iris Studios here in Nashville on September 3rd. We plan on releasing some singles leading into that album in the new year. Stay tuned, we're super excited and proud of this new batch of tunes!
If PUSHBACK keeps growing over the next few years, what would you love the project to become? Are you building towards a particular vision, or are you happy to let things unfold organically?
We love PUSHBACK so much, and will continue to push for it to become as big as it can possibly get! We'd really love to perform in festival circuits around the world and keep releasing music as much as we can! At the same time, we are also very content with what we have made and would be happy continuing to play local pop-up shows and just getting to create music that feels like a breath of fresh air for all of us.
Can we hope for a PUSHBACK tour in Europe where contemporary jazz is truly thriving?
We can definitely hope! We're actively seeking out opportunities to make that happen, so please send any inquiries our way at [email protected].
What’s on your playlist these days?
We’re listening to all kinds of music! Here’s some insight from each of us individually:
SAX: I’ve been listening to music from these albums recently! Some are new, some are long-time favorites - "Keepers" by Tiny Habits, "Freedom Exercise" by Josh Johnson, "mixtape - Live in London" by Ben Jones, "No Doubt" by Braxton Cook, "Charlie Parker with Strings" by Charlie Parker.
TRUMPET: I’ve been listening to this truly remarkable artist/producer out of Baton Rouge, Portraits Of Tracy. Bibio and Dorian Concept’s new record, Tinashe’s most recent work, some Art Jerry Miller, JJ Cale, Anita Baker (40th Anniversary of Rapture!!), Yellow Magic Orchestra, Deodato, and there’s always some Nat Adderley/80s Miles Davis thrown in there.
KEYS: I’ve been listening to iiyo iiyo iiyo by Sam Wilkes, #1 Record by Big Star, K1 by kmoe, CHASING / STILL by Mikey Jose, Sun of Amen by Alex Amen, and Okie by J.J. Cale.
DRUMS: As of late, I’ve been listening to "Now I See The Light" by toe, "Older" by Lizzie McAlpine, "Around the Fur" by Deftones, "A View of U" by Machinedrum, "Esperanza" by Esperanza Spalding, "Mockroot" by Tigran Hamasyan, and "to hell with it" by Pink Pantheress.
