RICHMOND, VA — September 23, 2026 — Carbon Leaf has released the official music video for “Backmask 1983,” a nostalgic trip through the mysteries, rumors and pop-culture touchstones of an analog childhood.
Created as a fully realized narrative rather than a simple performance clip, the “Backmask 1983” video takes a cinematic approach to the song’s wistful, pre-Internet world. Starring Hattie Sager as Beth, the video was filmed over two days at Tilt Creative in Richmond, Virginia, showcasing the abundant creative talent in the band’s hometown.
Featured on the band’s latest album, Time Is the Playground, the song recalls an era when kids learned about the world through older siblings, television specials, ghost stories and rumors hidden in rock records. References to Farrah Fawcett, backmasking, Satanic Panic, Time-Life Books and Bigfoot place the story at the intersection of lead vocalist and lyricist Barry Privett’s childhood and adolescence.
“I turned 13 in 1983, and looking back, it felt like one of the last analog years,” Privett says. “There were limits to what you could access, so you relied heavily on your imagination. The mystery of things felt heightened, and that mix of fear, exhilaration and possibility was part of the fun.”
More than an exercise in nostalgia, “Backmask 1983” considers how memories can help people understand the experiences that continue to shape them. “You can get close to the past, but you can’t be there again,” Privett says. “The act of unlocking a memory—stumbling across something you had completely forgotten—is fascinating to me.”
The video continues a busy release cycle for Carbon Leaf and marks another chapter in the band’s three-decade independent career. As Style Weekly recently noted, Carbon Leaf has become “a touring juggernaut with thousands of gigs in the rearview mirror, a multi-generational fanbase and original music that’s received national airplay.”
Carbon Leaf is currently on its headlining Wolves at the Door Tour, with dates continuing through December.
WOLVES AT THE DOOR TOUR
Sept. 24 — St. Louis, MO — Old Rock House
Sept. 26 — Dallas, TX — AMFM Backyard
Sept. 28 — Phoenix, AZ — Musical Instrument Museum
Sept. 29 — San Diego, CA — Winstons Beach Club
Sept. 30 — Los Angeles, CA — The Mint
Oct. 1 — San Francisco, CA — Brick & Mortar Music Hall
Oct. 2 — Portland, OR — Mississippi Studios
Oct. 3 — Seattle, WA — Tractor Tavern
Oct. 4 — Seattle, WA — The Triple Door
Oct. 5 — Spokane, WA — The District Bar
Oct. 6 — Boise, ID — Neurolux
Oct. 7 — Salt Lake City, UT — The State Room
Oct. 8 — Denver, CO — Bluebird Theater
Oct. 9 — Kansas City, MO — Knuckleheads
Oct. 10 — St. Paul, MN — Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Oct. 12 — Des Moines, IA — xBk Live
Oct. 13 — Omaha, NE — Barnato
Oct. 14 — Madison, WI — High Noon Saloon
Oct. 15 — Chicago, IL — Garcia’s
Oct. 16 — Indianapolis, IN — HI-FI
Oct. 17 — Ann Arbor, MI — The Ark
Oct. 18 — Cleveland, OH — Music Box Supper Club
Nov. 12 — New York, NY — Racket NYC
Nov. 13 — Burlington, VT — Higher Ground
Nov. 14 — Cambridge, MA — The Sinclair
Nov. 19 — Charlotte, NC — Neighborhood Theatre
Nov. 20 — Carrboro, NC — Cat’s Cradle
Nov. 21 — Charlottesville, VA — The Jefferson Theater
Dec. 3 — Philadelphia, PA — World Cafe Live
Dec. 4 — Portland, ME — Portland House of Music
Dec. 5 — Derry, NH — Tupelo Music Hall
Dec. 11 — Annapolis, MD — Rams Head On Stage
Dec. 12 — Annapolis, MD — Rams Head On Stage — Matinee and evening performances
Dec. 13 — Annapolis, MD — Rams Head On Stage
Dec. 17 — Alexandria, VA — The Birchmere
Dec. 18 — Alexandria, VA — The Birchmere
Dec. 19 — Richmond, VA — The National
ABOUT CARBON LEAF
Carbon Leaf’s 15th studio album, Time Is the Playground (September 2024), is a 12-song meditation on time, love and growth, blending nostalgic storytelling with folk-infused indie rock. Known for the Top 5 AAA radio hit “Life Less Ordinary” and fan favorite “What About Everything,” the Richmond, Virginia, band first reached a national audience with “The Boxer,” becoming the first unsigned act to perform at the American Music Awards in 2002. Carbon Leaf has since performed alongside Dave Matthews Band, Guster, Jason Mraz, Sister Hazel and John Mayer while building a devoted following of its own. More than three decades and 3,500 shows into its career, Carbon Leaf continues to thrive as a fully independent, self-managed band. Time is the Playground gathers demos, riffs, and lyrical ideas collected over 15 years into an album that feels both timeless and immediate—backed, as always, by the band’s tireless touring and dedication to music.
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