The Babes have been a band I’ve been hearing about a lot lately. They came up many times during my interview with the always awesome Desir Decir, they just released an amazing record and played  killer show at everyones favorite new hot spot The Pet Shop. So, I decided to drop by a practice where we talked about beer, music and Dave being a son of a bitch.

What’s your name and what do you do in the band?

Sean, I play guitar

Jordan, I play drums.

Paul, I play lefty guitar.

Corey, I play bass.

David, I play guitar and sing and Corey sings too.

C: Well, we all kind of sing.

How did you all get together?

D: We all lived in the same building except for Corey. Jordan and I had met Corey separately and we all agreed to jam or fool around and whatever and Paul was like, “Hey I play too I want to jam too is it cool if my roommate joins because Sean plays as well.” So, we messed around played some covers and it was a lot of fun. Two weeks later we said let’s do it again and then Jordan and I came up with a couple of ideas and all of a sudden we had a couple songs, and all of a sudden we were a band. We never planned to make a band, we just all got together. Basically, we became a band based on geographical convenience.

C: I was playing in a band called the American Mercury at the time and my drummer Steve moved to Portland, OR but I knew Dave from around town and I actually met Jordan at Steve’s going away party.. Jordan was like, “I play drums we should play together.” and I was like, “Yeah we should do that.” Months passed and then I met these guys right here in this room (at JC studios).

D: So we got together and played a bunch of Weezer songs, Pixies songs to beginand also a little Blink 182 thrown in there and that was that.

Photo Credit: Christopher Boyle

How would you guys describe your sound?

J: We’re a bar band. I think we’re just fun and when you’re at a bar drinking we’re great background music. I don’t think genre matters into it as much but I think we have a 90’s thing going on.

Where do you all live in Jersey City?

D: Sean and I are roommates and we live on Newark Ave in the middle of downtown. Jordan lives in the same building as us; Paul has since moved to Journal Square but was also in the same building at one time.

C: I’m in Hamilton Park.

What do you guys like about the scene in Jersey City?

D: I think all the bands are really cool and really look out for each other. There’s a really strong set of bands in this town that are sort of looking for a venue to play regularly. I know The Citizen has shows, The Funhouse has shows too and Porta on occasion. I just like how everyone helps each other out. We played that show at The Pet Shop and Mitch (drummer of Desir Decir) just kind of like set up everything. He brought the drums, brought the PA, brought the sound guy basically did everything and was like no big deal.

J: I like how we have our best buds here like Desir Decir, Coy Kids, and The Money Shot.

P: Sean and I are from New York originally and we moved here out of necessity for work. I think my favorite part is the sense of community, I feel like I’m a part of something. So us coming from the outside it seems kind of cool that we we’ve been kind of adopted.

D: I went to Rutgers and there was a tremendous basement scene in New Brunswick. Having come from that sense of community I feel fortunate enough to be a little older and still be able to see it again like when I was 22.

What are some of your favorite places to hang out in Jersey City?

All (almost in unison): Pet Shop

J: The dinner there is on fucking point. That jackfruit is great and I do think their buffalo cauliflower is better than anything in NYC.

S: The kale salad too is the best this side of the Mississippi.

D: On a quiet Friday night I go to the Westin hotel bar. We’ve had a few bro talks over whiskey over there.

When I was talking to you (Dave) at Pet Shop the other day you said you were part owner?

D: I am one of the part owners, yes.

Do any of you other guys work there?

D: Paul works for us, he bar backs there sometimes.

That was one of the things that interested me in interviewing you guys because, 1. I really liked your set at your record release show and, 2. the fact that you are actually involved in the bar scene yourself.

C: That’s one of the great things about Dave, being that I know he’s not going to toot his own horn I’m going to do it for him. He was kind of hush hush about trying to open up this bar and wasn’t saying this like look at me I’m opening a bar. It was years in the making and now it’s open and it’s become this place you can stumble down the road and run into your buddies like the Desir Decir guys, Coy Kids guys the rest of the Babes (Baberaham Lincoln) and it’s just like Cheers haha you can walk in and see your buds.

J: Actually, my first experience meeting Dave he told me he was a self-proclaimed son-of-a-bitch haha.

D: It’s true, it’s true.

J: He once told me a joke and the punch line was him just punching me and just running away haha.

What do you think Jersey City can do to make the scene better? What can they do to attract more musicians down here?

D: I think we just need more venues. When bands play a Tony (the infamous Dancing Tony) show they’re taken care of. He does a good thing but all the shows are outside or at Luck 7’s which is too small. With Pet Shop we originally were on a venture to open up a venue and it just got too complicated to find a space with a front bar and a venue in the back. The cost of the build out to do that would have been astronomical as well.

C: I was at Monty Hall the other night and that place is great

Yeah I love that place I saw Night Birds there with Crazy & The Brains there.

D: I actually went to high school with Brian from Night Birds I played trumpet on one of their records.

Photo Credit: Christopher Boyle

That’s awesome, what are some cool bands your listening to from Jersey City? Who are you guys digging now?

D: I love Desir Decir, I love Coy Kids, I love Black Wail, I love The Money Shot, Papermaker those bands are fantastic. Crazy & The Brains are just like a party and they just take the stage and party it’s amazing.

C: Crazy & The Brains practices here too so we see them fairly often. I just saw them at the Party for Peace and had the time of my life.

D: It’s like, immediately everyone starts dancing, everyone starts partying, the xylophone player is out in the crowd forcing everyone to dance it’s brilliant.

J: I really like this band called Man Dancing who’s from around here or they might be a little north of here but I caught them randomly at The Citizen. I feel like a lot of the bands we play with are within the same category but these guys have an emo thing going on, but the good side of emo ya know?

P: Cicada Radio is a cool band and I’m a huge Desir Decir fan too.

Thanks for your time guys and I hope to hang again soon!

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