Brave Baby drummer and producer Wolfgang Zimmerman wrote “2 Things at Once” around this time last summer in the thick of writing for the band’s new album, due out in September. He remembers the day well; it was his birthday, and he celebrated by taking the day to focus on his own art. Typically, he’s helping others tap into their most creative sides through his studio The Space.
Two ideas came out of that session, one being “2 Things at Once” and the other “Forever Man,” the second track on the 12-song album. Later that summer, he introduced the tracks to the band, and that’s when it all came together. Plenty of Brave Baby demos end up on the studio floor, but these stuck. Keon Masters picked up the bass and played a line that danced around the groove, and guitarist Christian Chidester chimed in with mellotron flutes, and “the track started to party,” Wolfgang said.
The dynamic of having two lead vocalists is something that’s developed over Brave Baby’s 10+ years and shines on the upcoming record. It’s a small sample, but paired with the lead single “Half Awake,” the two songs offer a glimpse into Brave Baby’s best album yet.
Nine years since their last proper album “Electric Friends,” the band hasn’t changed much, only grown as songwriters. Keon released an album in 2019 when Brave Baby took the pedal off the gas a bit, and last year Wolfgang released Spaceprints with his band Invisible Low End Power. Both projects appeared on SceneSC samplers. All the while, Brave Baby’s been dropping singles, though they weren’t out on the road nearly as much as they were in their early years.
Their 2017 single “Soothsayer” is now the band’s most played song on Spotify, with 4.4 million plays and counting. In fact, they have an album’s worth of singles released between albums, 10 in all. For the past decade, the band and its members have become arguably South Carolina’s most consistent artists, and considering Wolfgang’s production credits with Susto and Band of Horses, to name two, their impact is vast.
They’re proving how to mature as a band in a time when the music and entertainment industry is in flux. Their best album yet is coming out at a time when there’s no dominant form of physical media to support it, and when listeners’ attention spans become a little bit less each and every day. The upcoming album and the singles released so far are a reflection of their journey and an evolving sound that’s unique. You’ll hear an influence peek through now and then, but Brave Baby’s distinct style remains unmistakably theirs.
The dark and dreamy video was produced by Persona La Ave and shot at LOFi Brewing in Charleston in unison with Half Awake. Catch Brave Baby live at The Windjammer on August 10 with Easy Honey.
