Gabriel Goes came up with the lyrics for the band’s latest single, “Up Late,” in his living room. The song, which comes from the ‘Āina Haina-based band Backset — where Goes is the lead singer — will release on Spotify, Apple Music and Itunes on Thursday night.
“I was kind of feeling rebellious in my living room,” he told Aloha State Daily. “I started writing a song, and then I kind of put it on the back burner for a little while."
Originally, the surfer was imagining how someone might respond to being told what to do.
“And one day, I was just hanging at my buddy's house and there was this girl that I was talking to at the time, and she had sent me this text message the previous night, and it was keeping me up late just thinking about her text message,” he said. “I was just at my buddy's house jamming the guitar, and then I came up with this line: ‘You got me up late thinking about your message.’ ”
The band will play the single, “Up Late,” — and some of their other music — live at 9 p.m. on Friday, May 22, at the Secret Spot Honolulu, a café and bar within The Laylow, Autograph Collection in Waikīkī.
“This is the first song of a six-song EP, so it's a little teaser for what's to come,” he said. “I would say they should come to dance!”
In 2024, Goes was featured on NBC’s “The Voice.” The following year, he became an On the Rise Artist with the Henry Kapono Foundation, a program that supports the careers of Hawaiʻi’s emerging musicians by providing them with paid gigs, master classes and mentorship.
Recently, Backset was a contestant on “Hawaiʻi to the World,” a new talent competition launched by Hawaiian Council.
The alternative indie rock band has some reggae influences, as well as psychedelic and ethereal sounds. The band includes Goes, who is the lead singer and plays guitar, Joaquin Browne on guitar, Kobeats on drums, Cam Somlak on bass, and Josh Kay on keys with backing vocals. Kay, who now lives in California, will be joining the band for its performance on Friday.
Backset draws inspiration from a variety of artists.
“I get very inspired by a couple of Aussie bands that I've been listening to since I was in high school,” said Goes, who attended Kaiser High School and then Honolulu Community College.
Some of the groups that influence the band include Sticky Fingers and Ocean Alley, as well as The Police, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Pepper, Sublime and Radiohead, he said.
"We're very excited to be dropping new content," Goes said. "We have a music video for the song."
The band also recently released its album "Backset, Vol. 1."
Follow Backset on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Presave the song and listen on Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
