Since their widely lauded debut album, The Future Is Our Way Out, Chicago-based 5 piece Brigitte Calls Me Baby have brought a greater intensity of vision to their lavish breed of alt-rock, arriving at a boldly singular sound that is both thrillingly new and immediately essential to the modern rock landscape. In a major leap forward for the band, Brigitte Calls Me Baby’s sophomore album Irreversible captures the energy, intrigue and  grandeur of their live show, all while pushing further into the exquisite pathos of their songwriting.  “Our first album taught me that you’ve got to reach as far down into your soul as possible and be willing to show something real and raw to the world, and with this album that felt even easier and more natural,” says Leavins, whose signature croon imbues every track on Irreversible with a potent emotionality. “There was a time when I tried to bury the kind of feelings we’re displaying on this record, but now I’m at the point where I don’t feel the need to hold anything back.” Produced by Yves Rothman and Lawrence Rothman (Blondshell, Yves Tumor), Irreversible came to life in the midst of a relentless live schedule that’s included performing at leading festivals like Lollapalooza, sharing bills with the likes of Morrissey & Muse, and headlining sold-out tours across the U.S., U.K., and Europe. Recorded live at Lawrence’s the result is a majestic suite of songs that burn bright, hit hard, and passionately celebrate the drama of being alive.

At SKORTS’ first show, an amp exploded — call it a freak accident or a catalyzing prophecy — either way, from there was born a band that refused to arrive quietly. And with their debut Incompletement (October 31st), the group is packaging that power to deliver the album their fans have been waiting for since the group first started taking NYC stages by storm. Incompletement is pure passion pressed into permanence—polished, stadium-ready rock with a DIY edge, recorded live across three Brooklyn practice spaces with friend and producer Teddy O’Mara. The album is more than SKORTS’ greatest hits—the tracks their fans have eagerly been waiting for since first hearing them live. It also includes two never-performed songs that showcase a more tender side of the band. SKORTS is a product of creative chemistry and sweet serendipity. The foundation for the band was laid when lead singer and guitarist Alli Walls made what she calls her “big romantic gesture to music” and moved from Denver to New York City in 2021. Upon arrival, she hit it off with Char Smith (lead guitar) at a local guitar shop, and the duo laid down some demos. Char connected with Emma Welch outside a bar, and just like that, the band had their bassist. Since that first show, SKORTS hasn’t stopped. For the last few years, the band has been everywhere, riding the wave they’ve swirled up themselves while forging their sound on stages across New York City—earning the title of Oh My Rockness’s Hardest Working Band in 2024; taking the crown at Our Wicked Lady’s Winter Madness battle-of-the-bands tournament that same year; and catching the eye and ear of radio icon Alisa Ali, who invited them to record a live session for 90.7 WFUV in early 2025. The band––completed by drummer Max Berdik– has also been cutting their teeth on tour, packing bigger and bigger rooms with returning fans and new recruits, all keen to stake their claim and earn the right to say I knew them when. “Incompletement is a word we made up,” SKORTS shares in their liner notes. “To us, it means allowing oneself to live and create in an ever-changing state of impermanence.” It’s also, perhaps, an invitation. If this music is an exchange between gods and artists, artists and audience, now it’s your turn to have your way with it. To listen, connect, then maybe—just maybe—feel a little bit more complete.