Interview: Stereobabe

Jarod Smith

May 17, 2022

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

We both come from musical families that were supportive in nurturing our musical aspirations! Neither of us have ever envisioned our lives without music!

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

We’re always planning the next epic vacation! It’s always a fun adventure to find unique record stores and thrift/vintage shops when we’re out of town, which in itself sparks creativity with how we might decorate our house, dress ourselves, and find new music to listen to!

How long has your band been around?

Stereobabe has been active for almost 2 years. We met during the pandemic, and were lucky enough to be able to pick up some shows early on!

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

Ted is based out of Windsor, Ontario and Leann is from Detroit, Michigan. We both grew up surrounded by both the melodic early Motown artists and the gritty Detroit rock n roll bands (The Stooges, MC5. Being in border cities, we both were able to experience lots of music from the opposite country! Canadian pop bands such as Sloan and The New Pornographers were big later influences in our love of pop music.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Well, there's two of us, so we liked the idea of “stereo”.... and the word babe is just fun!

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Our second show ever was to perform for an entire weekend on a riverboat cruise! It was on the Cumberland river in Kentucky, all while we were still getting to know each other and honing the Stereobabe sound. We spent our downtime swimming, kayaking, and learning new songs in our tiny bunk!

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Some of our favorite venues that we’ve played at individually in the past are Lee’s Palace in Toronto, St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, and The Mercury Lounge in New York City. We would love to bring Stereobabe to the UK in the future!

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Sloan, Cheap Trick, and The Zombies!

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Write for yourself, stay humble, and keep expectations low! Do it for the love of music.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

See answer above!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Our newest release, Tumbleweed, is our favorite song. It was the first song we were able to write and record with each other in person, and we took an epic Southwest desert road trip to make the music video!

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

We love playing our originals, Pandemic Love and Tumbleweed. We also love playing Picture Book by The Kinks!

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Things usually start with just one word, melody, or riff and we build from that idea. We’re typically inspired by just the world around us and our love of making music.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

We like to keep things positive, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel!

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

So far, so good!

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We plan to keep on keepin’ on! We have a new song and video coming out this fall, and hopefully many more to follow!