The Babies, the early 2010s Brooklyn indie rock supergroup led by Kevin Morby (who was still in Woods then) and Cassie Ramone (Vivian Girls), called it quits in 2013 after two albums. Morby and Ramone played a couple Babies songs at a Planned Parenthood benefit in 2016, but the full band, which includes drummer Justin Sullivan and bassist Brian Schleyer, haven’t played together in 11 years. That will change this fall, though, as The Babies are reuniting for shows in Los Angeles and Brooklyn.
“I’ve been getting asked at my solo shows for years if and when the Babies will reunite and I’m glad I finally have an answer,” Morby says. “We all got together recently to do a photoshoot at the Chelsea Hotel in New York. It was the first time the four of us were in the same room since our last show in 2013 and it felt like a family reunion. One day I was sitting on my couch mindlessly playing guitar and noticed I kept gravitating towards old songs I wrote for the Babies and a light bulb went off that sorta said ‘it’s finally time’.”
Adds Ramone, “The last time all four of us were in the same room at the same time was at our last show at The Satellite in Los Angeles. Although I’ve stayed friends with everyone in the band, it’s been so great reconnecting on a group level. We have so much fun just hanging out together, and I can’t wait to start playing again. We’re making some sick new merch that I am stoked about. Other than that, I’m just hoping I can relearn the songs as well as I used to know them at this point!”
The L.A. show is September 18 at Teragram Ballroom with PG14 (Matt & Kim’s new band) and the Brooklyn show is September 24 at Warsaw with Joanna Sternberg. Tickets for both go on sale Friday, April 19 at 10 AM local time.
UPDATE: They’ve added a second Teragram show on 9/19.
Will there be more shows? More music? Morby says “No new music, and no further plans at this time,” but we can hope.
The Babies’ second album, Our House on the Hill, made our Indie Basement list of the Best Albums of the 2010s. Listen to that and watch the video for “Mess Me Around” below.
