The Babies

A friendship linking Cassie Ramone of the Vivian Girls with Kevin Morby from Woods gave rise to the Babies. During a winter 2008 pause in the touring schedules of their respective Brooklyn noise pop outfits, the pair shared living quarters and resolved to form a new group that would restore the carefree early period of music-making, before either had experienced the demands that accompany rising success. Although a handful of songs emerged from those sessions, the project stayed dormant until the following winter brought another shared break. At that point Justin Sullivan, Ramone’s former Bossy bandmate, came aboard on drums, and the three-piece began composing material that fused the Vivian Girls’ sugary fuzz with the ramshackle indie rock characteristic of Woods. Once bassist Nathanael Stark completed the lineup, the newly christened Babies commenced live performances in summer 2010. Whenever scheduling allowed, the quartet cut tracks, issuing 7-inches on the Wild World and Make a Mess imprints before unveiling their self-titled debut album via Shrimper in February 2011. After extensive touring throughout that year, Stark departed and Brian Schleyer took over bass duties. Early in 2012 the group relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to track a follow-up, resulting in the album Our House on the Hill, which appeared on Woodsist later the same year.