WilliamBarnes[3] (born August 23, 1992), known professionally asWill Toledo, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founding member of theindie rock bandCar Seat Headrest.
William Barnes was born and raised inLeesburg, Virginia, with his father working for the local county government, and his mother working as aspecial education teacher's aide.[4] As a child, Toledo was taught piano by his father, recounting a story withVice of how his father thought he knew how to read sheet music, but Toledo had instead only been imitating how his father played.[5]
While attendingLoudoun County High School, Toledo was involved in marching band, and played trombone.[6] During this time, he would also begin pursuing music on his own, becoming involved with the band Mr. Yay Okay, as well as working under his own solo projects, The 63rd Fret and Nervous Young Men.[7] Toledo would begin sharing his work through the online music distribution platformBandcamp after learning about the success the bandCults had been able to achieve through the platform.[5]
Toledo began 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.[8] As he had originally struggled to establish an audience through his previous projects, he chose to try to release more experimental songs anonymously.[9]
Under the Car Seat Headrest moniker, Toledo released eight studio albums, three extended plays, and two outtakes' compilations between 2010 and 2014. In 2015, upon signing toMatador Records,[10][11] Toledo recruited drummer Andrew Katz and bassist Jacob Bloom, turning Car Seat Headrest into a full band.[12]
Toledo performing with Car Seat Headrest atThe Showbox in 2018.
Within Car Seat Headrest, Toledo provides vocals, guitar, piano, and synthesizers. Toledo's songwriting often combines influence from literature with personal, 'confessional' lyricism.[13][14] Toledo is also one half of music duo 1 Trait Danger with Katz. Together, they have released three albums.[15][16]
Toledo graduated fromLoudoun County High School in 2010,[17] and subsequently enrolled atVirginia Commonwealth University. After a semester, Toledo would transfer to theCollege of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he majored in English and minored in religious studies.[18] He graduated from William & Mary in 2014 and moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue Car Seat Headrest professionally. Toledo isgay and a member of thefurry fandom.[19] He is one-fourth Mexican.[20] He takes his professional name, Toledo, from his mother's maiden name.[21][6]
Despite themes of mental unrest in his songwriting, Toledo does not consider himself depressed or mentally ill.[22] He has previously faced autoimmune complications since early adulthood, and developed ahistamine intolerance after testing positive forCOVID-19 while on tour in 2022.[19][23] He has since used social media to raise awareness forlong COVID.[24]
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