The Super Babes Raise Their Aim, Target Rock Festivals

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – “Before the pandemic, we were playing twice a weekend,” said Bridget Reckless, guitarist and vocalist for rock duo the Super Babes.

“We’ve readjusted our focus,” added Ann Rock, drummer and vocalist for the Youngstown-based act. “We’re going for quality over quantity, playing festivals.”

Up next is a spot at Federal Frenzy, which is Saturday in downtown Youngstown, where the band has the 5:10 p.m. slot.

The duo played at Cleveland’s Brite Winter fest in February before a crowd of about 600. Past shows include the Millvale Music Festival in Pittsburgh, Porchrockr in Akron, Waterloo Art and Music fest in Cleveland and Femme Fest in Canton.

They are also booked for Ribs N Rock at Southern Park Mall’s parking lot in June. Before that, they will open for Kate Clover at Beachland in Cleveland on May 1.

“People who go to festivals are dedicated to new music,” Reckless said. “They’ll say, ‘We looked you up before we came.’”

With a sound that ranges from garage rock with a punk edge to power pop, the Babes can brighten any lineup regardless of the format. 

They played a stripped-down show – something they rarely do – for a SoFar Sounds gig at a club in Cleveland last month. SoFar is a London-based music events company that stages unique performances in smallish settings in cities around the globe.

Super Babes songs have a certain degree of fury and the softer SoFar set had a different vibe that connected with the crowd.

“It made Bridget and me realize the impact we make on people,” Rock said.

With one EP under their belts – 2019’s “We Are the Super Babes” – the duo plans to head back to the studio this year to record a single. They will unveil a couple of new songs at Federal Frenzy and promise some other surprises as well.

A typical Super Babes set might include their bluesy rocker “My Riposte,” as well as a cover of The Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb.” Then there is the indie flavored “Derryck” and “Say It and Say,” which show off the band’s vocal interplay – a signature of their sound. It’s not harmony, but a weaving together of two distinct vocal parts.

“We are each our own vocalist,” Reckless said. “I am a choir nerd and was excited to do it.”

Reckless and Rock are always on the same page when it comes to their music. They had been playing in other bands but joined forces in late 2018 after realizing they shared a style and vision.

“We had gotten to know each other’s musical styles and both of us wanted to ask the other one to start a band,” Reckless said. “When we finally did, it was like, ‘I was going to ask you the same question!’”

At first, the plan was to start a four- or five-piece band. “We were trying to make it all women, like a modern-day Runaways,” Reckless said. “But it didn’t happen.”

They’re comfortable as a duo but would be open to expansion if the right musicians came along, Rock said.

Music isn’t the only thing on their plates.

Reckless and Rock play the lead characters in a locally made series called “FaKoff” that is expected to premiere this year. The adult comedy, written by Laytton L. Lenoir, centers around two best friends and their relationships. It’s set in Youngstown and was filmed late last year.

Pictured: The Super Babes are Bridget Reckless and Ann Rock.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.