Baby Got Back Talk decided to answer our questions about their music and how they make it. Let’s see what they have to say!
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
The band is named from a combination of the Sir Mix-A-Lot song everyone knows and a bell hooks book that more people should know, which is called Talking Back. That’s probably about where to locate us on the aesthetic spectrum—somewhere between a butt-obsessed rapper and a black feminist icon. We thought it was fitting because a punk band is one of the most fun forms of back talk.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
We were all in steppingstone bands when we were younger. Jake, our guitarist, was the instrumentless lead vocalist in a metalcore act. G’Ra, BGBT’s singer and bassist, played guitar in a neon-era pop punk band. Rhi, our synth op, played in a top 40 cover group. All of those experiences and influences combine–Captain Planet style–to inform what we’re doing now as Baby Got Back Talk.
How would you describe your sound?
When I was in college I was taken with this rad essay by June Jordan where she describes the poet Walt Whitman as “a freak eruption of prolix perversities.” I resolved to make a rock ‘n’ roll band that sounded like whatever that is. Several years and many successful Craigslist ads later Baby Got Back Talk was born. Hallmarks of the BGBT sound include intricate, ruminative lyrics, three-part vocal harmonies, guitars that straddle the line between pop punk and math rock, buoyant synths and sparkling choruses. It’s as freaky, prolix and perverse as intended.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
Fefe Dobson and Josie and the Pussycats. Val (Rosario Dawson’s character in the 2001 film) was the blueprint.
What’s the last song you listened to?
“Find Me For The Waltz” by Early Riser
What’s your source for hearing new music?
There are a ton of amenities that come with living in NYC, but the fact that you can practically cover your eyes, extend your index finger while spinning in a circle and land on a promising artist is a top shelf one. We learn about a lot of cool acts via word of mouth and keeping our ear to the ground in our local punk scene.
Who is your dream producer?
We’ve been working with John Naclerio (Just Surrender, The Audition, Polar Bear Club) at Nada Studios for the last year or so, including for our latest release Wince, Repeat. He’s pretty dreamy. John worked on a lot of records we grew up on, so getting his two cents on every hook and cranny of our new music is just what the doctor ordered.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
Bad Religion. We’ve been known to churn out a fist-pumping political anthem or two. Those dudes are pretty much the masters of it. Our songs are chock full of harmonies. Bad Religion are the wizards of oozin’ aahs. Their legendary frontman is a college professor and author. Our legend-in-the-making lead singer is a college professor and author as well. If there was a matchmaking app for band collabs, the algorithm would’ve paired us up already.
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
My guess is that being punk is a congenital disorder. The three of us were all born with a little too much blitzkrieg bop in our blood and being a band is our coping mechanism.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
If you think of punk as a giant umbrella with a bunch of other camps beneath it, we tend to combine some of those sub-genres in ways that are not completely intuitive. So for example, we’ll incorporate a verse that has a 90’s Fat Wreck feel to it. We’ll also throw in a finger-tapping guitar riff on top which is something you’d usually associate with math rock or with emo. And then maybe we’ll drop a beat underneath it that resembles a Christina Aguilera song. Ideally, we hit some time honored notes but in a sequence or combination that is hopefully more refreshing than a total retread of things people have already heard.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
The best way for our audience to connect with us is to come to a show and say what up! The banal way is to heart-eyes emoji our Instagram stories. We’ll take that too.
Baby Got Back Talk
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Existential Shred | Baby Got Back Talk (bandcamp.com)
What’s next for you?
Our new EP Wince, Repeat is out this summer on Wiretap Records. Our guy Ross Louis Klein directed a pair of ballin new videos for singles “Opposite of Impostor Syndrome” and “I’m Sorry I’m a Moron, But Also, Help.” We’ve also just dropped a new installment of our original comic The Most Interesting Band in the World, drawn by Lorena Reyes.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Thanks for supporting our music!
