Nothing’s happier than childhood summers. As Sleeping Jesus describe it, “Dogs are barking, the windows are down, and your hair is still a little wet from your neighbor’s pool. You might even fall in love, too.” That sweet and nostalgic tone filters through the first single, “Running Backwards”, of their upcoming debut album, Leave the Party Early (due out on July 25, 2022).
“Running Backwards” bubbles with youthful energy, asking us to give ourselves permission to indulge in the silly things we used to as kids, like climbing through a window or playing till the streetlights turn on.
The light and bouncy harmony offers plenty of space for the distorted instruments and vocals to shimmer. It’s almost like we’re peering up from inside that neighbor’s pool ourselves, watching the heat waves shimmer through the wavering guitar tones.
You can catch Nick Elstad, Tyler Steinley, Andy Bauer, Seamus St. Clair, and Dante DeGrazia on tour this fall. But for now, let the summer take you with “Running Backwards”.
Stream “Running Backwards” below.


Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.