Gone Baby Gone's latest, Love Stories, inspired by local band gossip

“This album is self-released, because DIY is how we roll, baby,” says Gone Baby Gone frontwoman Veronica Collins (aka Dizzy). “Not to say we wouldn’t love to have someone take us under their wing and write us a check to create music, but rock-and-roll fairy godmothers don’t seem to happen in music today.”

Released April 28, the Love Stories album was produced, mixed, and mastered by Steve Tague. “My buddy Pat Beers of the Schizophonics is featured on a bluesy track called ‘The Jerk’ with me. He sounds so rad on it, totally one of my favorite vocalists.”

As for the album’s title, “The songs are basically stories from my life, good, bad, whatever. When my bandmates and I sat down and discussed different album titles, the topic came up about how small and incestuous the music and art scene can be. You know, people like to gossip and start rumors about who’s dating who in this band or that band, blah blah. Just like high school. Sometimes it’s true, other times it’s not, but no matter what, a good love story is always entertaining.”

Musically, “I believe we took a lot more risks with this album. It’s a bit odd, in a fun way, but you can still jump, shake, and shimmy to it. We were, like, if people get it, cool. If not, fuck it.”

Asked about the band’s worst gig, she says, “I believe it was at Rogue Bar in Phoenix. The venue was pretty dead, and the bartender and owner were so cool and liked our band so much that they started bringing Jameson whiskey shots to the stage, like, throughout the set. Like, eight shots per song. I think after the third or fourth song, they switched it to Southern Comfort, and we were so drunk by the end of the set that no one could drive....

“When Jay finally sobered up, he began to drive but had no idea where we were going. He ended up at the airport, circling the runway as if he was in the movie Speed. The night progressed where we ended up lost, barfing at some dead-end street in front of these residential homes. Also, our shuttle bus caught on fire. I have never been so hungover in my life....

“We now have a band rule: no heavy drinking until after we play.”