SPILL FEATURE: EVERYTHING IS IRREVERSIBLE – A CONVERSATION WITH WES LEAVINS OF BRIGITTE CALLS ME BABY

EVERYTHING IS IRREVERSIBLE

A CONVERSATION WITH WES LEAVINS OF BRIGITTE CALLS ME BABY

You get the sense that Wes Leavins, singer/songwriter extraordinaire of Brigitte Calls Me Baby, can’t quite believe he finds himself here. The story of how his band came to be is nothing short of remarkable; while it’s been reported several different ways in the past, Leavins is kind enough to give me the definitive version. “I was a teenager in high school who was basically playing around in the most intimate places in Southeast Texas that you can imagine with a friend making really terrible music,” he says. “So yeah, they had me come to New York to audition for this thing on Broadway, the story of Sun Records. I figured at least it would get me out of this town, and, well, it did!   I got the job, and therefore dropped out of high school, which I was trying to find a way to do, made some money and went to Chicago after that. The money’s long gone, but we have a band to show for it.”

A serendipitous start that seems almost unbelievable to those within it, then, but what a band it’s produced. Looking at it from the outside and speaking to them on the eve of their second album release, Irreversible, they’ve seemingly had a rocket strapped to them since their late 2023 breakthrough with EP This House Is Made Of Corners. Off the back of a tireless touring schedule and seemingly-immediate indie credibility, their true break into the mainstream came with their debut album, The Future Is Our Way Out, which seemed to slow burn its way up charts and appreciation indices alike, to the point where, by the end of their tours (where this writer saw them live, even), they were selling out rooms and playing to devoted audiences. 

All their own work, of course, but surely a little thing like supporting Morrissey on parts of his European tour didn’t hurt either. Curious as to how they got the noted Mancunian curmudgeon’s support, I probe for answers, and again, it seems to be a case of serendipity: “He seemed to really like us from the start—we were lucky, I guess, because we passed the test and he asked us to join him on those three dates. That was our first gig in Manchester, with a huge crowd, and it helped us sell tickets for our own solo tour, so I guess that gig really put us on the map, so to speak,” Leavins says.

IRREVERSIBLE ALBUM REVIEW

Since then, they’ve seemingly been permanently on the road, which probably explains why their new upcoming album, Irreversible, tackles some of those themes—the feel of being on a journey you don’t quite understand, but letting it take you where it leads. As Leavins explains: “‘Irreversible’ encapsulates everything we’re trying to say, it’s all over the lyrics. Everything is irreversible. Everything’s done once it’s done. You have to embrace that, even the bad things. Even the thing in the moment that feels so horrible, you look back in a few years, and you see, had that not happened, these nine good things would have never happened.”

If that seems like an unusually philosophical view for a band to come out with, then that’s probably what sets Brigitte Calls Me Baby apart from many bands; they’ve been able to find a way to bypass walls and the increasingly distant feel of fame to connect directly with those who revere them. Leavins tells a story of winning over one of the toughest-looking audience members at a recent gig, eventually reducing him to tears and singing his heart out, with a smile: “It actually ends up being therapeutic for both us and the fans. Finding that the people who show up to see you, they get that, they hear that, it resonates with them, that’s the best feeling—what you wrote a song about is communicated and received. If you’ve got 1000 people that show up to see you, they’re spending the most valuable currency, which is their time, as well as their money, and that’s not lost on us.”

That respect for their fanbase has helped them cultivate increasing growth, and that seems fine with Leavins. It’s not even entirely certain that it’s enough, as he explains, in complete seriousness: “I’ve got pretty severe ADHD, so I’m always searching for the next dopamine kind of fix. In this line of work, you cannot rest. You are constantly in pursuit of more, and it’s a hell of a way to live!” He’s right, of course, although there should be no issues with having plenty to do for him for at least the next year; as well as the album release, they’ve a tour coming up supporting British indie legends The Vaccines, and their own run of dates in Europe and North America as well, including Longboat Hall in Toronto on May 19. They’ve also got some of those obligatory summer festival dates, including Traumzeit Festival in June.

You sense there might indeed be a high ceiling on the band’s potential, and that seems fine by them; they’ve earnt it. Leavins’ closing words convey that sense of pride, with an eye on the future. “You cannot go without paying your dues. And I think we did pay our dues, and I’m glad that we did, because it gives us that perspective. I hope someday it feels like we’ve arrived, but for now, I’m just trying to enjoy the moment—when you achieve something, you should enjoy it. Plan the future, but don’t forget to enjoy the present,” he says. What does the future look like, though? Frankly, as big as you can imagine. “We want to find something cathartic for both the audience and us…maybe turn 1000 people into 10000 people, and play on the highest possible stage for us,” he says.

If they continue their recent exponential growth, it won’t be long before we see that, but perhaps more importantly, even from speaking to Leavins you can feel that this is a band rooted in its connection to its fanbase. Whether you’re playing to 1000 people or 10000, being rooted in that, in both your music and emotional connection, can’t be a bad thing. Brigitte Calls Me Baby has real momentum going into 2026, and it seems like it might just be…oh, what’s the word…? Irreversible? Indeed…

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Photo Credits: Scarlet Page