A couple of months ago I saw a post on Facebook that made me do a double take. After two years of silence, the sleeping giant BABY BABY stopped slapping the snooze button and announced that a new record would be released in 2022. The band has a very special place in my heart not only for their music but for a simple act of kindness they did for me that fueled my hunger to write about music. BABY BABY is a major reason why I became the writer I am today.
In 2016, I was trying to figure out how to capture the energy of a show in words. For one of my first assignments, I got to work press for the Save Ferris comeback tour. Coincidentally, BABY BABY was supporting the Atlanta stop at the Masquerade. After their set, I randomly asked the group if I could hang in the green room and get some quotes for my review. Thinking nothing of it, they ushered me backstage—my first such experience at any venue.
We did a small photoshoot and had a blast, but what got me hooked on doing was what happened next. I got to meet someone who, for me, was a legit legend—the one and only Monique Powell. This was the first true rockstar I ever met, one who set the mood in whatever room she stepped into. I was speechless and starstruck to the point where I almost forgot to get her to sign the tour poster. I’ve been chasing moments like that ever since while working press for artists around Atlanta.
Recently, I connected with BABY BABY drummer Grant Wallace to discuss their upcoming album U Good?, which was recorded with Dan Dixon (PLS PLS, NRCSSST, Dropsonic). After not hearing anything from the band for a few years, I inquired about why they took a break and are suddenly releasing new music. To put it simply: after a decade of grinding and pushing for success, the group had worn themselves thin. A hiatus was needed. However, when the group saw that their fanbase was still very much active online, it gave them the push to start writing again—albeit with different intentions. BABY BABY made this album entirely for fun with no strings attached, no label or people to impress, and no demands to meet.
To help build excitement for U Good?, the band is releasing a new track on the first Friday of each month. The lead track, “Fitted Sheets for the Lonely,” is a certified banger that hits especially hard after the last two years we’ve all collectively suffered through. The song opens with the simple question “Are things getting better or worse for you?” It then leaps into a catchy chorus fueled by Fontez Brooks’ gritty vocals shouting, “Freedom, I just want my freedom!” I think these words will resonate with many people after being pushed to their limits through no choice of their own. The emotion put both into the lyrics and the instrumentals give the track so much depth. I think “Fitted Sheets for the Lonely” can be an anthem that launches us into 2022 as we hopefully push into the after times of the pandemic where freedom flies ferociously.
Listen below or stream it now on Spotify.
Keep an eye out at the start of each month for another dose of BABY BABY to help ease you through the strife of life. If the other tracks on U Good? slap half as hard, this album might become one of my favorites of the year.
More Info
Bandcamp: babybabyblows.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @babybabyblows
Instagram: @babybabyblows
Twitter: @babybabyblows