METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Amber. So glad to be catching up with you. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for Metal Pulp And Paper. We appreciate it.
How are you? How are things going for you and your band Broken Baby so far, this year?
AMBER BOLLINGER: Hi! I’m good! And I think Broken Baby is off to a good start. So far, we’re just making the music and sharing. And since we’re a new band, it’s like we’re still in the honeymoon phase. Things couldn’t be better.
MPAP: We’ll talk about your new EP here shortly, but without even feeling how cold the water is, let’s dive headfirst in and have you tell us about your band? What does everyone need to know about Broken Baby?
AMBER: Broken Baby is comprised of myself and singer/songwriter/producer/guitar shredder, Alex Dezen, former singer/songwriter of The Damnwells. We started a band early this year and wrote and recorded our EP in two weeks. We want everyone to listen to the EP.
MPAP: How did your band come about to happen? Were you both sitting around a table drinking, or heard a song on the radio that inspired you? Or a bucket list item?
AMBER: I’m gonna give the credit to Alex on this one. We were in a van driving across the country, touring for his most recent solo album, and he thought we should start a band. The two of us. I just thought the boredom had gotten to him and that he’d forget by the time we got back to L.A. But, when Alex has an idea, he most certainly follows through.
MPAP: What was the need for starting this band? Alex Dezen, who is your other partner in crime in Broken Baby, and you were already successful in your other endeavors so far. Alex, being in The Damnwells, an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, and yourself as a television and movie actress? What made you decide it was time to start a band and make some music?
AMBER: Probably the failure of the two. No, but really, I don’t know. We’ve collaborated on songs before. We like working together. We want to work together on music. I don’t know if the world needs another band, so I don’t know why we started one. It’s probably just our desire and the need to keep creating stuff we like. Instead of screaming online, we scream into a microphone. And what else is there to do?
MPAP: After that, how did the name Broken Baby come about? Is there a meaning behind it, or it was just a name put into a hat and someone picked it?
AMBER: It took months to come up with a name. We kept going back and forth with ideas. The EP was already done. We just needed a name. We went record shopping and on our walk back “Broken Baby” popped out. It was the only name at that point that sounded interesting to the both of us, so we stuck with it.
MPAP: Now that the two of you had gotten this far, how was it decided what genre of music you were going to be playing in Broken Baby? Each of you must have had your own idea right away, ‘I want to sound like this, I want to play songs like this? I like this band’s sound because it can get the blood flowing, it can melt glaciers in Antarctica?’ Or did the both of you know right away without even really discussing it what the band was going to
sound like?
AMBER: We both kinda knew what style it had to be. And it was something we hadn’t done before. Luckily, it kind of tumbled out without having to think about it too much. We didn’t want to belabor the music or the lyrics or anything. Hopefully we can retain that kind of spontaneity throughout the process of making this music.
MPAP: In the beginning, did you just want to take it slow and be a somewhat local garage/bar band or were you both wanting to hit the road immediately and getting your songs on the radio right away?
AMBER: We also didn’t think about either of those things. We just wanted to make the music and record it and just see where it goes. We have no expectations on this whatsoever. I’m sure a lot of people say that, but I honestly have no idea what to expect. If people listen, great. If people come to a show, even more great. I could get lost in the millions of strategies and expectations. It’s more fun to just stick to the music and creating. I’m sure something happens next, right?
MPAP: What were some of your musical influences that might have helped bring Broken Baby to life, into the big music picture?
AMBER: We were listening to a lot of Gang of Four, The Pretenders, The Sound. Let’s see, what else…The Stranglers, Stone Roses, The Monorchid, Eurythmics, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Laurie Anderson, all things Kathleen Hanna. It was a mish mash of music. We consume a lot of different kinds of music.
MPAP: So now, let’s talk about your new EP that was released recently on August 25 th. There’s no real name for it, other than it’s just listed as an EP? Why is this? Why not go as far as what Led Zeppelin did, calling all your releases after numeral letters, Broken Baby I, Broken Baby II, Broken Baby III, and IV, etc., etc.? Or it just didn’t matter if there was a title for the album or not? You just wanted people to listen to the damn thing right away?
AMBER: It didn’t really matter to us. It’s an EP and we just wanted it out for people to hear it. Perhaps we’ll think of something more creative for our LP.
MPAP: Now that we know the story behind all that, tell us about the EP and what can the listeners expect from it?
AMBER: There are six songs on the EP and it’s kind of like a menu. Each song offers something different than the last song. Hell, we even have a little acoustic love song, or the closest we can get to one, on the EP. Everyone seems to have a different favorite song. I think that’s pretty cool!
MPAP: You explained in another interview on how you came up with the song "Don’t Be Rude", saying, ‘I have a friend who posted ‘don’t be rude!’ in a Facebook thread. I thought it was ironic and hilarious for someone to be yelling that out into the void, but I guess that’s what we’ve come to.’ How do you feel about the social media these days? Between the news on the television or the social media, everyone is crying about something. You are totally right about people saying don’t be rude. Now it’s turned into I’m offended by that?
AMBER: Oh, yeah, we’ve all become super sensitive to everything. 'We' as in those so closely connected online via all social media platforms. And how can we not be? Everyone you follow online is 'fighting' for their own multiple causes. Everyone is screaming at everyone. And It’s very easy to do that from the comfort of our own home. I’m guilty of it. But I’m not so sure if screaming into that echo chamber makes any difference. I think it just adds more anxiety to our lives, pushes us away from each other, and distracts us from the things we could be doing to make ourselves, and the things around us, better.
MPAP: What about the pressure of music? The pressure of being in Broken Baby? Are you out to have it pay the bills, or is it just something to do to release yourself or to express yourself with?
AMBER: The wonderful thing about being in a band that no one knows is the lack of pressure. For me, music doesn’t pay the bills. Maybe it will, but that’s something I don’t expect. As an actor, I came to expect it, and man, that’s when it’s just no fun. If you want music to pay the bills, you should work as an A&R person or teach rich kids how to play the guitar. But it doesn’t cost anything to make music. So, there’s no loss, only more time spent on something I like to do and less time scrolling through Instagram or Facebook.
MPAP: Both you and Alex are currently dating, have been for many years now? Does that make it harder at all when you’re in a band together? Or is it the best thing that could happen?
AMBER: It’s the best! We get to make music in our pajamas in the living room of our apartment. Being in a relationship takes time and energy and lots of Netflix. Sometimes we swap out the Netflix for the music.
MPAP: One positive thing about being together in a band and in a relationship together is I’m sure it makes it a lot easier to be out on the road for long periods of time and there are no lonely nights of missing each other? Is this true?
AMBER: Yeah! I was stoked to sing back up on Alex's recent tour. It was nice to be with my person every night on the road. It makes home not so far away.
MPAP: Or can it be tough sometimes when you’re stuck in a van for hours traveling to the next show and you just need a break?
AMBER: Oh, now that you mention it, yeah, we can get on each other’s nerves for sure, but when there are others in the van, you just talk to someone else. Or go to YouTube. There are so many cute animal videos on YouTube.
MPAP: Good things must come to an end, but before we bring this interview to a close, what’s next for Broken Baby? Anything you can reveal here that others don’t know about just yet?
AMBER: We are excited that we have four songs in the can already for the LP! That is happening.
MPAP: Last question. Music stores are so few and far between, kind of like the Blockbuster Video stores in the 90s. Everything is purchased via the Internet without even having to get up. A lot of people don’t get to experience what it was like to walk into a record store and become enthralled in it. Does that matter to
you anymore? Should it matter to everyone out there that likes music?
AMBER: It does matter to me. I love walking into a record store and sorting through the New Arrivals bin, or finally finding that record that’s been on my list forever, or even taking a chance on an artist I’ve never heard. Then you have to wait to open it until you get home! You take off the plastic, look at the album art, put the record on, TURN IT UP and... I mean, it's the best way to listen to music. I’m only a little hesitant to tell someone else how to experience music, but that way is incredibly fulfilling to me.
MPAP: On behalf of myself and Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Amber, for spending some time with us and letting us get to know you and your band. Look forward to what Broken Baby does to finish out 2017 and beyond.
AMBER: Dude, this is great. We’re so happy you’re taking an interest in Broken Baby and all the other artists you highlight at Metal Pulp And Paper. Thank you!
MPAP: Any last words you’d like to say to all the readers and your fans out there?
AMBER: Go see live music!
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©metalpulpandpaper
How are you? How are things going for you and your band Broken Baby so far, this year?
AMBER BOLLINGER: Hi! I’m good! And I think Broken Baby is off to a good start. So far, we’re just making the music and sharing. And since we’re a new band, it’s like we’re still in the honeymoon phase. Things couldn’t be better.
MPAP: We’ll talk about your new EP here shortly, but without even feeling how cold the water is, let’s dive headfirst in and have you tell us about your band? What does everyone need to know about Broken Baby?
AMBER: Broken Baby is comprised of myself and singer/songwriter/producer/guitar shredder, Alex Dezen, former singer/songwriter of The Damnwells. We started a band early this year and wrote and recorded our EP in two weeks. We want everyone to listen to the EP.
MPAP: How did your band come about to happen? Were you both sitting around a table drinking, or heard a song on the radio that inspired you? Or a bucket list item?
AMBER: I’m gonna give the credit to Alex on this one. We were in a van driving across the country, touring for his most recent solo album, and he thought we should start a band. The two of us. I just thought the boredom had gotten to him and that he’d forget by the time we got back to L.A. But, when Alex has an idea, he most certainly follows through.
MPAP: What was the need for starting this band? Alex Dezen, who is your other partner in crime in Broken Baby, and you were already successful in your other endeavors so far. Alex, being in The Damnwells, an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, and yourself as a television and movie actress? What made you decide it was time to start a band and make some music?
AMBER: Probably the failure of the two. No, but really, I don’t know. We’ve collaborated on songs before. We like working together. We want to work together on music. I don’t know if the world needs another band, so I don’t know why we started one. It’s probably just our desire and the need to keep creating stuff we like. Instead of screaming online, we scream into a microphone. And what else is there to do?
MPAP: After that, how did the name Broken Baby come about? Is there a meaning behind it, or it was just a name put into a hat and someone picked it?
AMBER: It took months to come up with a name. We kept going back and forth with ideas. The EP was already done. We just needed a name. We went record shopping and on our walk back “Broken Baby” popped out. It was the only name at that point that sounded interesting to the both of us, so we stuck with it.
MPAP: Now that the two of you had gotten this far, how was it decided what genre of music you were going to be playing in Broken Baby? Each of you must have had your own idea right away, ‘I want to sound like this, I want to play songs like this? I like this band’s sound because it can get the blood flowing, it can melt glaciers in Antarctica?’ Or did the both of you know right away without even really discussing it what the band was going to
sound like?
AMBER: We both kinda knew what style it had to be. And it was something we hadn’t done before. Luckily, it kind of tumbled out without having to think about it too much. We didn’t want to belabor the music or the lyrics or anything. Hopefully we can retain that kind of spontaneity throughout the process of making this music.
MPAP: In the beginning, did you just want to take it slow and be a somewhat local garage/bar band or were you both wanting to hit the road immediately and getting your songs on the radio right away?
AMBER: We also didn’t think about either of those things. We just wanted to make the music and record it and just see where it goes. We have no expectations on this whatsoever. I’m sure a lot of people say that, but I honestly have no idea what to expect. If people listen, great. If people come to a show, even more great. I could get lost in the millions of strategies and expectations. It’s more fun to just stick to the music and creating. I’m sure something happens next, right?
MPAP: What were some of your musical influences that might have helped bring Broken Baby to life, into the big music picture?
AMBER: We were listening to a lot of Gang of Four, The Pretenders, The Sound. Let’s see, what else…The Stranglers, Stone Roses, The Monorchid, Eurythmics, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Laurie Anderson, all things Kathleen Hanna. It was a mish mash of music. We consume a lot of different kinds of music.
MPAP: So now, let’s talk about your new EP that was released recently on August 25 th. There’s no real name for it, other than it’s just listed as an EP? Why is this? Why not go as far as what Led Zeppelin did, calling all your releases after numeral letters, Broken Baby I, Broken Baby II, Broken Baby III, and IV, etc., etc.? Or it just didn’t matter if there was a title for the album or not? You just wanted people to listen to the damn thing right away?
AMBER: It didn’t really matter to us. It’s an EP and we just wanted it out for people to hear it. Perhaps we’ll think of something more creative for our LP.
MPAP: Now that we know the story behind all that, tell us about the EP and what can the listeners expect from it?
AMBER: There are six songs on the EP and it’s kind of like a menu. Each song offers something different than the last song. Hell, we even have a little acoustic love song, or the closest we can get to one, on the EP. Everyone seems to have a different favorite song. I think that’s pretty cool!
MPAP: You explained in another interview on how you came up with the song "Don’t Be Rude", saying, ‘I have a friend who posted ‘don’t be rude!’ in a Facebook thread. I thought it was ironic and hilarious for someone to be yelling that out into the void, but I guess that’s what we’ve come to.’ How do you feel about the social media these days? Between the news on the television or the social media, everyone is crying about something. You are totally right about people saying don’t be rude. Now it’s turned into I’m offended by that?
AMBER: Oh, yeah, we’ve all become super sensitive to everything. 'We' as in those so closely connected online via all social media platforms. And how can we not be? Everyone you follow online is 'fighting' for their own multiple causes. Everyone is screaming at everyone. And It’s very easy to do that from the comfort of our own home. I’m guilty of it. But I’m not so sure if screaming into that echo chamber makes any difference. I think it just adds more anxiety to our lives, pushes us away from each other, and distracts us from the things we could be doing to make ourselves, and the things around us, better.
MPAP: What about the pressure of music? The pressure of being in Broken Baby? Are you out to have it pay the bills, or is it just something to do to release yourself or to express yourself with?
AMBER: The wonderful thing about being in a band that no one knows is the lack of pressure. For me, music doesn’t pay the bills. Maybe it will, but that’s something I don’t expect. As an actor, I came to expect it, and man, that’s when it’s just no fun. If you want music to pay the bills, you should work as an A&R person or teach rich kids how to play the guitar. But it doesn’t cost anything to make music. So, there’s no loss, only more time spent on something I like to do and less time scrolling through Instagram or Facebook.
MPAP: Both you and Alex are currently dating, have been for many years now? Does that make it harder at all when you’re in a band together? Or is it the best thing that could happen?
AMBER: It’s the best! We get to make music in our pajamas in the living room of our apartment. Being in a relationship takes time and energy and lots of Netflix. Sometimes we swap out the Netflix for the music.
MPAP: One positive thing about being together in a band and in a relationship together is I’m sure it makes it a lot easier to be out on the road for long periods of time and there are no lonely nights of missing each other? Is this true?
AMBER: Yeah! I was stoked to sing back up on Alex's recent tour. It was nice to be with my person every night on the road. It makes home not so far away.
MPAP: Or can it be tough sometimes when you’re stuck in a van for hours traveling to the next show and you just need a break?
AMBER: Oh, now that you mention it, yeah, we can get on each other’s nerves for sure, but when there are others in the van, you just talk to someone else. Or go to YouTube. There are so many cute animal videos on YouTube.
MPAP: Good things must come to an end, but before we bring this interview to a close, what’s next for Broken Baby? Anything you can reveal here that others don’t know about just yet?
AMBER: We are excited that we have four songs in the can already for the LP! That is happening.
MPAP: Last question. Music stores are so few and far between, kind of like the Blockbuster Video stores in the 90s. Everything is purchased via the Internet without even having to get up. A lot of people don’t get to experience what it was like to walk into a record store and become enthralled in it. Does that matter to
you anymore? Should it matter to everyone out there that likes music?
AMBER: It does matter to me. I love walking into a record store and sorting through the New Arrivals bin, or finally finding that record that’s been on my list forever, or even taking a chance on an artist I’ve never heard. Then you have to wait to open it until you get home! You take off the plastic, look at the album art, put the record on, TURN IT UP and... I mean, it's the best way to listen to music. I’m only a little hesitant to tell someone else how to experience music, but that way is incredibly fulfilling to me.
MPAP: On behalf of myself and Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Amber, for spending some time with us and letting us get to know you and your band. Look forward to what Broken Baby does to finish out 2017 and beyond.
AMBER: Dude, this is great. We’re so happy you’re taking an interest in Broken Baby and all the other artists you highlight at Metal Pulp And Paper. Thank you!
MPAP: Any last words you’d like to say to all the readers and your fans out there?
AMBER: Go see live music!
©metalpulpandpaper