Dre Babinski

Last updated

Dre Babinski
Born
Andrea Caravean Babinski [1]

(1985-08-26) August 26, 1985 (age 38)
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • guitarist
  • violinist
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • violin
Years active2006–present
Labels
Website steadyholiday.com

Andrea Caravean "Dre" Babinski (born August 26, 1985) is a Los Angeles-based actor, singer, songwriter, violinist, and guitarist, best known as the indie-pop solo-act Steady Holiday. [2] [3] Other notable work from Babinski includes recording and touring as violinist and backing vocalist for Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, and as one-half of the musical duo Miracle Days. [4] Dre has also appeared (as Andrea Babinski) in several commercials for web and television, and has worked as a self-described "hired gun" in the band Hunter Hunted, as well as for The Elected, and a solo project from The Honorary Title's Jarrod Gorbel. [3] [5] [6]

Contents

Career

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band (2006–2011)

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band were an indie-rock group from Anaheim, California, fronted by Dustin Apodaca, with Dre Babinski, Kyle Divine, Edson Choi, Eric Chirco, and Brad Babinski (Dre's brother). Their first full-length album First You Live , was produced by Mars Volta keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens and released on October 19, 2007 on SideOneDummy Records, with the Orange County Register naming it "best album to come out of Orange County in 2007." [7]

Babinski (on backing vocals and violin) performed on two more albums with the band, and toured nationally, playing with acts like Dirty Pretty Things, Brand New, Gogol Bordello, Blind Melon, Flogging Molly, Jonny Lang, Los Lobos, Mofro, Shooter Jennings, and The Aquabats. On June 10, 2011, the band played its final concert at the House of Blues in Anaheim. [8] [9]

Miracle Days (2011–2013)

Soon after Dusty Rhodes and the River Band disbanded, guitarist Edson Choi relocated to Los Angeles, where he wound up living down the street from Babinski. [10] The two agreed to begin working on a new project together, expecting to release an EP of new music, though the material developed faster than the two originally thought, and their small project blossomed into a full album of songs. [10] With demos in hand, a friend of the duo, who was working as tour manager for the band Dr. Dog at the time, played the touring band a copy of the Miracle Days demos. After hearing the demos, the duo were invited by Dr. Dog to their studio in Philadelphia to record the album. [10]

In October 2011, Babinski joined Choi in the studio with engineer Nathan Sabatino. With only a month of preparation, the duo, so far consisting of an acoustic guitar, a violin, and vocals, had not intended to record the songs with drums, though once they arrived at the studio, members of Dr. Dog all offered to lend their talents to the album. Bass player Toby Leaman, drummer Eric Slick, and frontman Scott McMicken, all joined Babinski and Choi in the studio. [10] Over a two-and-a-half-week period, the duo would solidify the arrangements of the songs into an album that would define Miracle Days as a band. [11]

Though tracking on the album was completed in less than 3 weeks, the band experienced a considerable passing of time before the album's release, due to remixing, and a distribution deal the band opted out of. [10] On October 22, 2013, two years after completing the studio sessions, Miracle Days self-released Something for the Weight on their Bandcamp, and vinyl LP. [10] The title hints at the frustrating length of time between conception and release, and the theme was loosely based on the romanticizing of modern anxiety, as Dre claims the songs are "like stepping into a dream-world where one's worries and fears are something beautiful to behold." [11]

Steady Holiday (2015–present)

Under the Influence

After Miracle Days parted ways, Babinski toured and recorded as a work for hire, which she felt insulated her from her creative potential, and thus began writing material "in secret" for a new project through which she could fully express herself. [12] [13] In early 2015, Dre began recording sessions for her new solo project Steady Holiday, releasing a video and download for the single Your Version Of Me in November for a future full-length album. At the time of the single's release, Dre was still referring to the forthcoming album under the working title of Getting There. [4] [14] [15] The single was well received and highly praised by fans and critics alike, appearing as Mecca Lecca's "Song of the Day" on November 16, 2016. [14] [16] [17]

After releasing three more singles, and a video in April 2016 for the single Open Water, [18] On June 24, 2016 Babinski released Steady Holiday's debut album, now officially titled Under The Influence, on Brooklyn label Infinite Best Recordings. The album was produced by Gus Seyffert, and features Josh Adams (Jenny Lewis) on drums. [19] Dre described working with Seyffert as an incredible experience, telling a writer that the producer "has such a command over his space...I would have ideas and we were able to capture them in the moment." [3]

Babinski would soon form a live band featuring Brijesh Pandya, Derek Howa and reuniting with brother Brad Babinski, who all came from the band Air Life, and Alina Cutrono, formerly of Alina Bea, and ex-Body Parts. [3] In 2016, the band was hand-picked by Coachella founder Paul Tollet to play the festival, where they performed both weekends on the Gobi Stage. [20] Soon after playing Coachella, the band would play a residency at Silver Lake venue The Satellite in support of the album. [20]

In October, 2016, Steady Holiday was awarded the title "Best Solo Artist" in LA Weekly. [21] In December 2016, Steady Holiday's Under The Influence LP was placed in the top 100 "best albums of 2016" on Bandcamp. [22]

Nobody's Watching

On August 24, 2018, Steady Holiday released Nobody's Watching on Barsuk Records, marking Babinski's 2nd LP as Steady Holiday. [23]

Take the Corners Gently

On October 16, 2020, Steady Holiday released Living Life, the first single from Take the Corners Gently, a new LP due February 2021 and produced by Blake Sennett. Described by Dre as possibly being "the most straightforward song I’ve written..." Living Life was released in conjunction with a video of the same name, and was characterized as "an anthem for not only living in the moment, but accepting the value in it" that falls "somewhere between a slowed-down 'Mr. Brightside' and the Twin Peaks theme," with NPR believing it draws inspiration from A Day in the Life by The Beatles. [24] [25] [26] Living Life appeared on NPR's All Songs Considered in October 2020.

In November 2020, Steady Holiday released Tangerine, the second single from Take the Corners Gently, along with a music video and a short film. Babinski reflects on the song's meaning as "a song about mental illness — about witnessing someone’s behavior change without warning...and I’m still learning how to understand it. Sometimes that’s easier to do with abstractions. Like turning a difficult subject into a fruit..." [27]

Other work

Between tours and recording sessions, Babinski has taken on small roles in film and television. Her screen work includes appearances in several music videos, and multiple commercials for products from Subway, Panera, Acura, QuickBooks, and Miller High Life. [5]

Style and influences

Babinski's music is described by Billboard as having "sweet, sometimes sad melodies". [28] The band has been compared to Portishead, and Stereolab, [14] though Dre has described her influences as ranging from Leonard Cohen and Burt Bacharach, to the films of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. [6] [29]

Often regarded for her visual style as well as her musical efforts, a spokesperson for Ford Modeling Agency has referred to Babinski's Instagram profile as having "fantastic taste". [30] Babinski explains that her fashion is influenced by Ty Dolla $ign, and when composing imagery, prefers to be placed into "otherworldly" and "intricate" scenery. [6]

Personal life

Babinski has been described by herself and others as having a "self-deprecating sense of humor", [6] [19] and in interviews has expressed difficulty in taking ownership of her success, and concern about the stress of her "own neuroses". [3] Crediting her turnaround to a "personal evolution", [4] Dre has since began taking her health seriously, and focusing on her relationships and awareness. [3] While discussing Steady Holiday's Coachella performance, she tells a writer for Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, that in regards to her former outlook on life, "I wish someone would have thrown a bucket of water on me and explained that the ‘tortured artist’ cliche is just that." [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach House</span> American dream pop duo

Beach House is an American indie band formed in Baltimore in 2004 by current members Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally. Their work is characterized by a hypnotic dream pop style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tally Hall</span> American rock band

Tally Hall is an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in December 2002, and publicly active until the conclusion of their Good & Evil tour in 2011. The band is known for its upbeat melodies and whimsical lyrics. The members originally described their musical style as "wonky rock", later redefining their sound as "fabloo", in an effort to not let their music be defined by any particular genres after critics began defining the characteristics of "wonky rock".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Razzmatazz (song)</span> 1993 single by Pulp

"Razzmatazz" is a song written and released by the British rock group Pulp. Featuring lyrics written by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker about an ex-girlfriend, the song sees the narrator mock his ex-girlfriend for leading a dull life after dumping him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dusty Rhodes and the River Band</span> American indie rock band

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band were an American six-piece indie-rock group from Anaheim, California. They were heavily influenced by the folk-rock sounds of The Band, the orchestration and production techniques of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and the progressive-rock energy of groups like Yes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gayngs</span> American indie band

Gayngs is a Midwest indie band with a 1980s soft rock-inspired sound. Founded by Ryan Olson, the group consists of 22 musicians, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Dessa and P.O.S of Doomtree, Har Mar Superstar and members of Poliça, Megafaun, Solid Gold, Digitata, and The Rosebuds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Karlsson (DJ)</span> DJ and record producer

Lars Christian Karlsson, also known by his stage name Bloodshy, is a Swedish DJ, percusionist, récord producer and remixer known for his work with the musical groups Bloodshy and Avant, Miike Snow, Ingrid, and Galantis. He started his international music career as one half of the electro pop duo Bloodshy & Avant with Pontus Winnberg, producing and co-writing tracks for pop stars such as Madonna, BoA, Kylie Minogue, and Katy Perry. Bloodshy & Avant notably co-wrote and produced Britney Spears' single "Toxic", which earned them a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2005. While continuing to work with Bloodshy and Avant, Karlsson also became a member of the indie pop band Miike Snow around 2007. Miike Snow, the group's debut album, was released in 2009, and peaked at number 11 on the Top Electronic Albums chart in the United States. Miike Snow won the 2011 European Border Breakers Award, and their second album Happy to You reached No. 1 on the Belgian Heatseekers Albums Chart and 43 on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run River North</span> American indie folk-rock band

Run River North, formerly known as Monsters Calling Home, is a Korean-American indie folk-rock band from Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unlocking the Truth</span> American heavy metal band

Unlocking the Truth was an American heavy metal band from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2007, the group consisted of Malcolm Brickhouse, Jarad Dawkins (drums), and Alec Atkins (bass).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galantis</span> Swedish electronic music act

Galantis is a Swedish electronic music act currently consisting of record producer Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson. Formerly, it was a duo, alongside rising musician Style of Eye, until he decided to part ways with the project shortly after their sophomore album The Aviary in 2017. However, he made appearances in live performances and music videos as part of the project up until 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greta Kline</span> American musician (born 1994)

Greta Simone Kline, formerly known by the stage name Frankie Cosmos, is an American musician and singer-songwriter. She is known for her independent releases, inspired by Frank O'Hara's poetry, DIY ethics of K Records and the early 2000s New York City's anti-folk scene. She is the daughter of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates. Her former stage name "Frankie Cosmos" is now the name of her band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knower (duo)</span> American independent electronic music duo

Knower, also stylized as KNOWER, is an American independent electronic music duo who have gained success releasing music online. The group consists of Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi. Their full band is a jazz-funk act that includes saxophone, bass and keyboard players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Garden (band)</span> American experimental rock band

The Garden is an American experimental rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 2011 by twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears. The duo released their debut album The Life and Times of a Paperclip in 2013, with several smaller releases following. In 2015, the group released their second studio album Haha along with the lead single "All Smiles Over Here :)" to critical acclaim after being signed to Epitaph Records. The brothers have toured across the US, Europe, United Kingdom, China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Mexico, and in 2019 and 2023, they appeared at Coachella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Girls</span> Musical artist

U.S. Girls is a Toronto-based experimental pop project formed in 2007, consisting solely of American musician and record producer Meghan Remy. She had released music on a variety of independent record labels before signing to 4AD in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weyes Blood</span> American musician (born 1988)

Natalie Laura Mering, known professionally as Weyes Blood, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She was primarily raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She has been performing her own material under variations of the name Weyes Blood since 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Dacus</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1995)

Lucy Elizabeth Dacus is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dacus attracted attention with her debut album No Burden (2016), which led to a deal with Matador Records. Historian, her second album, was released in 2018 to critical acclaim. Home Video, her third studio album, was released in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese Breakfast</span> American alternative pop band

Japanese Breakfast is an American indie pop band headed by musician Michelle Zauner. Zauner started the band as a side project in 2013, when she was leading the Philadelphia-based emo group Little Big League. She has said that she named the band after seeing a GIF of Japanese breakfast and deciding that the term would be considered "exotic" to Americans; she also thought it would make others wonder what a Japanese breakfast consists of.

Massive Ego was a British darkwave musical group formed in 1996 by singer Marc Massive and Andy J Thirwall. The band has changed its sound and image since its formation. The original releases being mostly covers in a Eurodance, Hi-NRG style. Massive and Thirwall later parted ways, and Massive searched for a new musical direction for the band. Collaborations with Empire State Human and Lia Organa & Electric Prince were the start of a darker sound for the band. The band joined alternative German label Out of Line Music in 2015 with the line-up; Marc Massive, Oliver Frost, Lloyd Price and Scot Collins. Their debut album for Out of Line was released on 17 February 2017. The current themes of the songs centre around the darker side of life, depression and anxiety, death, suicide, love, sex and vampirism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherry Glazerr</span> American rock band

Cherry Glazerr is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 2013. The current lineup consists of guitarist and lead vocalist Clementine Creevy, bassist Sami Perez and drummer Tabor Allen. The band's sound has transitioned from lo-fi and garage rock on their debut release Haxel Princess in 2014 to a more polished rock sound, with elements of grunge, punk and new wave on their subsequent releases Apocalipstick and Stuffed & Ready. Their fourth studio album, I Don't Want You Anymore, was released on Secretly Canadian on September 29, 2023.

<i>Stop Talking</i> (Chris Price album) 2017 studio album by Chris Price

Stop Talking is the second studio album by Chris Price. It was released on May 19, 2017 by Omnivore Recordings. The album was produced, engineered and mixed by Price himself, and was recorded over a five-year period starting immediately after the release of Price's debut, Homesick in 2012. Price reportedly recorded nearly 50 songs during this time, while also devoting time to produce albums for Linda Perhacs in 2014 and Emitt Rhodes in 2016. The album's cover, a painting of a blue dog, was painted by Andrew Scott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men I Trust</span> Canadian indie band

Men I Trust is a Canadian indie band from Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 2014, the band consists of Emmanuelle Proulx, Jessy Caron, and Dragos Chiriac (keyboards). The group have self-released all of their music and have released physical editions on Canadian indie label Return to Analog. Men I Trust have independently released four studio albums, Men I Trust (2014), Headroom (2015), Oncle Jazz (2019), and Untourable Album (2021). They have also released two physical-only EPs, Men I Trust (2017) and Tailwhip (2018).

References

  1. ↑ "ALL ABOARD". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  2. ↑ "3 Artists You Don't Know At Coachella, But Probably Should Before Week 2". Forbes. April 21, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Steady Holiday: Finally under her own influence (and at Coachella)". buzzbands.la. April 15, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Dre Babinski's Altpop project Steady Holiday prefers "Your Version Of Me"". The Deli. November 18, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "TV Commercials For Andrea Babinski". iSpot.tv. 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Steady Holiday". song facts. 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Orange Pop: The top 10 local albums of 2007". OC Weekly. August 5, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Dusty Rhodes and the River Band's 'Last Waltz'". OC Weekly. June 9, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Dusty Rhodes and the River Band Calling it Quits; Lead Singer Running for City Council". OC Weekly. August 5, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Miracle Days' Debut Survives the Waiting Game". OC Weekly. October 21, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  11. 1 2 "Dre Babinski of Dusty Rhodes and the River Band on her New Band, Miracle Days". OC Weekly. February 24, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Steady Holiday". Riot Act Media. 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  13. ↑ "TIDAL Rising: This Week's 5 Artists To Watch". Tidal. May 11, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 "Song of the Day: Steady Holiday – "Your Version of Me"". Mecca Lecca. November 16, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Live Review: Steady Holiday at The Satellite 1/5". The Deli. January 16, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Premiere – SteadyHoliday Your Version of Me". yvynyl. November 6, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Shiny new musician from LA, Steady Holiday, releases first single, "Your Version of Me"". Music For Lunch. April 25, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Steady Holiday – "Open Water" (Stereogum Premiere)". Stereogum. April 28, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  19. 1 2 "Interview with must-see Coachella artist Dre Babinski of Steady Holiday". AXS. April 13, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  20. 1 2 "Steady Holiday Has an LA Staycation". KCRW Music Blog. May 13, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Best of L.A." L.A. Weekly. October 5, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  22. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2016: #80 – 61". Bandcamp. December 4, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Premiere: Steady Holiday "Nobody's Watching"". Stereogum. June 21, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Steady Holiday – "Living Life"". Stereogum. October 16, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  25. ↑ "New Mix: MILCK, The Weather Station, Mary Lattimore, More". NPR. October 20, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Video: Steady Holiday, 'Living Life'". Buzzbands.la. October 16, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Stream: Steady Holiday, 'Tangerine'". Buzzbands.la. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Coachella 2016 Sunday Weekend 2 Recap: Usher's Tribute to Prince, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar Cameos". Billboard.com. April 25, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  29. 1 2 "Meet Smartist: Dre Babinski of Steady Holiday". Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. May 21, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  30. ↑ "What the Team at Ford Models Wears to Work and Who They Follow on Instagram". Racked. April 11, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.