North BK band to rock pier

Photo by Mike Mabes

By Meredith Deliso

Though Amazing Baby play Pier 54 on August 13, the real party will be following them to Brooklyn.

Two days after the waterfront show in Manhattan, lead singer Will Roan turns 26. He’ll be celebrating with a blowout at Coco66 in Greenpoint, with musical acts including Jessica 6, comprised of members of Hercules and Love Affair, and other friends’ bands.

Roan has had much to celebrate recently in general. A little more than a year and a half ago, Roan and fellow Amazing Baby founder, guitarist Simon O’Connor, paid the bills as ringtone designers. Forming the band after work for a creative outlet, they soon joined the neo-psychedelic ranks of other Brooklyn bands like Chairlift and MGMT, even opening for the latter.

Immediately garnering positive press for their EP “Infinite F---ing Cross,” when their anticipated debut “Rewild” came out this past June, the band lived up to the hype with their perfect pop melodies and glam-meets-black metal rock.

As of late, the North Brooklyn-based band has been broadening their reach beyond the local blogosphere, on tour in Europe with French alt-rockers Phoenix and hitting up Tokyo and parts of Canada this month before making their way back to Brooklyn for the hometown show.

For all the blog love, sold-out shows and adoring attention, for the band, it’s still about keeping it real.

“Life is extremely fleeting. You try to enjoy it as well as you can,” said Roan from a bus that was making its way towards Germany for a show with Phoenix. “I have a huge heart full of energy.”

Though there’s little time to deal with much beyond tour buses right now, there are some projects in the works that they’re excited about. This fall, the band plans on putting out a new single that’s not on the album, and there’s new music from side projects. Bassist Don Devore celebrates two releases this summer, with “Strategies For Apprehension” out late last month with his band The Historics, in addition to “Rewild.”

“It’s a cavalcade of extremely intelligent musicians,” said Roan of The Historics, which also includes members of Maroon 5, Ink & Dagger and VietNam. “I would say to definitely check out that band.”

Amazing Baby has been “writing constantly,” said Roan, finding time whenever they can to brainstorm, and while they know how to put on a raw, energetic show, they also have their hearts in the studio.

“I think one thing that’s going to keep me happy and vibrant, and all the things that make you excited about music in the first place, is about continually recording new music,” said Roan. “I think our main goal is to keep it up.”

Amazing Baby play Pier 54 (West Street and 13th Street in Manhattan) August 14 at 8 p.m. With Yeasayer. The show is free.