Brigitte Calls Me Baby is a Chicago-based five-piece emerged in early 2023. They soon scored a breakout hit with Impressively Average that shot to the Top 10 at Triple A radio. On their debut LP The Future Is Our Way Out, which will be out tomorrow on ATO- Records, Brigitte Calls Me Baby share a body of work that spans genres and eras, merging the lavish romanticism of mid-century pop with the frenetic energy and spiky intensity of early-millennium indie-rock. Upon moving to Chicago in 2016, Leavins immersed himself in the local scene and soon linked up with the musicians who would join him in co-founding Brigitte Calls Me Baby. As the band built up their catalog, Leavins was tapped to take part in recreating a series of Elvis Presley songs for Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic Elvis, a turn of events that found him crossing paths with nine-time Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton). Partly recorded live at the legendary RCA Studio A in Nashville with Cobb, the debut album also features a selection of songs self-produced by Wes Leavins and his bandmates: guitarists Jack Fluegel and Trevor Lynch, bassist Devin Wessels, and drummer Jeremy Benshish. The album arrives as a potent evolution of Brigitte Calls Me Baby’s debut EP This House Is Made Of Corners—a fall 2023 release that earned acclaim from the likes of NPR and NME.

What Wes Leavins Says: “When I was growing up, my grandma had a book from the ’70s that went into all these different Hollywood scandals, and there was a part about Jayne Mansfield that stuck with me. I remember there was a photo of her that was quite pornographic, and when you turned the page there was another photo of her dead body after the car wreck. It was so striking and really left an impression on me, to the point where I’d get the chills anytime I even glanced at that book on the shelf.” 

“Devin wrote the music to that song and I loved how dramatic it felt, so the goal was to match that drama in the lyrics. It became a song about how in the grand scheme of existence, the time we’re alive is so brief and insignificant. At some point after you’re gone, when everyone who knew you is gone as well, it’s almost as if you never existed at all.” 

“Impressively Average is a bit of a self-loathing song, about trying to cope with someone’s very high expectations of you”

His Mixtape: “This is a playlist I made for TRISTE© SUNSET, each song has a different unique core memory for me.“

Desire – Under Your Spell

Under Your Spell is a song that a very special person showed me. Anytime I hear it, it brings me back to that moment I first heard this song, late at night on a long drive.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Souvenir

Souvenir is a song by OMD that I wish I had written. I think it’s just a perfect little song that makes me feel all kinds of good melancholy feelings.

Her’s – What Once Was

What Once Was is a one-of-a-kind song. The tragedy of the band has made an already extremely heart-heavy song a million times more powerful. It always makes me think of the two guys in Her’s and hope they are ok wherever they are.

The 1975 – So Far It’s Alright

So Far It’s Alright is a song by The 1975 I first heard live around Christmas and so it’s sort of a non-Christmas, Christmas song. It always makes me think of that time of year and causes a heart feeling.

STRFKR – Say To You

Say To You is a song by strfkr that one of my great friends showed me back in the summer of 2017, so it always makes me think of the unsavoury things we got into at that time!

Arcade Fire with Owen Pallett – Song On The Beach

Song On The Beach by Arcade Fire, was written for one of my favourite movies, ‘Her’, starring Joaquin Phoenix. It reminds me of a modern day Gymnopédie No. 1 by Eric Satie, just a gorgeous soul stirring song.

Public Image Ltd.- Double Trouble 

Double Trouble is a great PIL song that just has so much attitude and snark, I love it. It was one I referenced when looking to bold voices that didn’t really compromise their identity for any external purpose.

Surf Curse – Disco 

Disco by Surf Curse warms my heart and makes me think of my puppy dog. Her name is Disco. She’s a basset hound and is the love of my life ❤️

The Future Is Our Way Out is out tomorrow, August 2nd, on ATO Records. Look HERE for more information on Brigitte Calls Me Baby.