Exposed Vocals Exclusive: An Unfiltered Interview with Part Time Baby on Came From a Woman and the Art of Reinvention

Music has the power to be both a mirror and a sanctuary—a way to process life’s complexities while offering listeners a sense of connection. For Part Time Baby, an artist whose career spans over four decades, the transition from band member to solo act wasn’t just about creative autonomy—it was about rediscovering himself through sound. After years of collaboration, he found himself drawn to the deeply personal process of making music on his own terms, leading to the birth of his solo project. His latest album, Came From a Woman, serves as a testament to that journey—an evolution from his debut Only the Ocean, yet infused with the same authenticity that defines his work. This time, however, there’s an undeniable boldness—a willingness to push musical boundaries while maintaining the raw introspection that makes his songwriting resonate. Came From a Woman is at once whimsical and profound, an album that challenges and soothes, that celebrates life’s fleeting moments while contemplating the deeper truths beneath them.

Beyond its lush instrumentation and layered compositions, Came From a Woman is a deeply human album—one that pays tribute to the creative and generative power of women while touching on broader themes of perseverance, identity, and artistic reinvention. Whether inspired by the eccentric true story of “Lawnchair Larry” or shaped by the pressing realities of today’s world, each track feels like a carefully crafted vignette, a piece of a larger narrative that reflects both personal and universal struggles. It’s the work of an artist who has lived, lost, and learned—who has seen the industry transform yet remains driven by the same passion that first pulled him toward music. As Part Time Baby sits down with Exposed Vocals, he unpacks the inspirations, challenges, and revelations behind his latest release. This is more than just an album—it’s a statement, an experience, and a chapter in an ever-evolving story. Let’s dive in.

Exposed Vocals: What was the inspiration behind Came From a Woman, and how does it reflect where you are creatively?

Part Time Baby: The inspiration for this, my second album, came from the same place as the inspiration for my first album, which I released in early 2024. It came from a desire to make music on my own terms after playing in bands and other musical partnerships for 40 years. Making music with others is mostly an absolute joy, and I still love to do that. But Part Time Baby is a loner project, with a few exceptions where some fantastic collaborators (like D Davis, my daughter Bess, Darko the Super, and my lyricist friend Sam Gaidemak) helped out here and there. But mostly, Part Time Baby was born from an itch that began during the pandemic, and I scratched it by posting videos of me performing some of my songs and beloved covers as a way of soothing myself and my friends during the great lockdown months of 2020. Something began to grow in me, and by 2023 I was ready to dig in and begin recording what became my first 10-song collection, Only the Ocean. I just kept going, and after another year, I had another 10 songs in the bag, and that’s this album.

Exposed Vocals: How would you describe the evolution from Only the Ocean to this new album?

Part Time Baby: I feel like this second album is more confident in compositional approach and tone. I was more comfortable in the mixing and mastering and was able to bring out things like vocals and rhythm section more prominently.

Also, I expanded my guitar sounds on Came From a Woman by acquiring a 1978 Ibanez Artist 2622-AV (the same type played by Steve Miller and also Mike Rutherford of Genesis), which is super crunchy and humbucky, complementing my Fender Telecaster so nicely. I also built a pedalboard and had some fun with overdrive and ambient sounds.

As far as the evolution of the songs themselves, on the first album, I was in the process of developing something I call “layercake,” which takes a singular musical idea and builds upon it in layers of texture in a series of crescendos and decrescendos. Songs like What, Me Worry? and Only the Ocean demonstrate this compositional approach. Having worked out some technique there, I moved towards the next album with an intention to focus on tighter song form—with ideas that are a bit less monolithic, and more traditional verse-chorus-bridge-outro, etc. I’m not sure if it’s more satisfying, but it’s where I ended up going. We’ll see what happens next!

Exposed Vocals: Having spent 40 years in various bands and music acts, what led you to focus on a solo career?

Part Time Baby: Yeah, I really think it was that damn coronavirus. Maybe the isolation I felt, and we all felt, drove me to a place of musical self-reliance that, for some reason, I hadn’t experienced so intensely before. It just carried through, I guess. Another thing is technology—when I was a young guy playing in bands, we had to either pay tons of money and cram time and big money (that we didn’t have!) into a professional recording studio—with actual analog tape on big reels, kids! Or we had to rely on really crappy home recording technology, with things like multi-track cassette tape recorders. Oh, the Dolby! It sounded awful, and looking back on it, kind of hilarious. We labored on in sweaty basements for countless hours, with dreams of immortal fame…

But now, all one needs is a good computer with a nice chunk of RAM. For me, that looks like my trusty Mac, GarageBand, a very basic USB audio interface, a Rode NT1 condenser mic, a 61-key MIDI controller, my little Vox Mini Super Beetle amp, and my axes and pedals. So simple, and so powerful. All I need now is time and imagination. It’s truly a miracle!

Exposed Vocals: Can you share any specific experiences or stories that influenced this album?

Part Time Baby: Well, the song on the album that really tells an actual and true story is Lawnchair Larry. This song is an instance of a “lyrics-first” compositional approach, whereas my more usual approach is chords and melody first, followed by lyrics. I was listening to a podcast about this guy Larry Walters, who, in 1982, affixed 42 giant, helium-filled weather balloons to an aluminum lawnchair and went a-flying. Google it—it’s crazy! After almost dying, he came to the ground safely and became an overnight sensation. He went on Late Night with David Letterman and everything. Unfortunately, his life ended tragically by suicide. It’s an incredible story about “a boy with a dream.”

Musically, I came up with this weird chord progression—C# minor/A minor/C minor/G major/F major/F minor/F major—which supports a rising chromatic melody and paints an ethereal musical picture of a balloon slowly rising “up to the sky.” It all comes together to celebrate the story of Lawnchair Larry Walters in a way that pleases me greatly.

Exposed Vocals: The title Came From a Woman is intriguing—what does it signify to you?

Part Time Baby: Thanks! The title track—the song—was first inspired by a meme I saw about all the inventions that “came from a woman”—paper bags, invisible glass, WiFi, GPS, etc.—and leading to the realization that EVERYBODY comes from a woman. As a son, as a husband, and as a father of two now-grown women, it really resonated with me, especially at a time when despicable hypocrites are successfully eroding and undermining women by restricting their access to healthcare. I don’t want to get political, but as a human being, I am horrified by this.

So yeah, this song is meant to be a celebratory anthem about the awesome creative power of WOMAN! It’s something that connects us all, and no matter what, we have that in common. It’s a simple but mighty concept.

Exposed Vocals: How do you approach songwriting differently now compared to your early career?

Part Time Baby: Early on, I used the guitar as my sole compositional tool, kind of like a hammer. I’d chunk out some chord progressions and find a suitable melody to hover over them, and then eke out lyrics. The lyrics came last and were usually the hardest part for me. I’m making it sound pedestrian, but this is a pretty common songwriting approach, and lots of great (or at least good) songs are written this way. A good example of this on my album is Carnival Pink, the last song. I wrote it when I was 20 years old and re-arranged it for the album.

These days, songs come to me in different ways. Sometimes lyrics entirely first, like Lawnchair Larry and Only the Ocean from the first album. Also, sometimes my songs begin with granular musical ideas, which I’ll grab onto and flesh out. This approach is borne out in my songs The One, which is an instrumental track, and Demon, where the idea of that badass fuzz bass line came to me one night over a few cocktails. And where I used my guitar as a hammer as a young songwriter, I feel like I now have a more varied toolbox, which is my little basement studio, with all of the made-for-home-but-professional-sounding technological marvels at my fingertips. It’s a lot of fun!

Exposed Vocals: What was the biggest challenge in creating this album?

Part Time Baby: Time and space, really. I have a very demanding job as a non-profit CEO, and I work many hours—lots of evenings, too. When I got really heavy into the album tracking—a period of about seven months from spring to early winter 2024—I’d come home, march straight down to the basement, and disappear for hours. Weekends, too. It definitely put a strain on my marriage, because it’s just my wife (of almost 25 years) and me in the house now that our girls are grown and pretty much on their own. After months of this, I don’t blame my wife for becoming exasperated by all the hours I was down in my studio.

And then there was the vocal tracking—my studio is not soundproof, so I’d give my wife a hard time about being quiet while I was tracking vocals. Oh yes, and she’s so patient and understanding, but I am sure I deserved a kick in the ass a few times. Just being honest—that was the biggest challenge, but we made it through, and we’ll be celebrating our 25th anniversary in June. (Thank you, Carol, love you!)

Exposed Vocals: Are there any particular tracks on Came From a Woman that hold special meaning for you?

Part Time Baby: All of them hold a place and space for me. In particular, there’s I’ll Be Free, which came together quickly and serendipitously, with a musical idea (chords and melody) I was hammering out, and a lyrical idea that came from my elder daughter, Bess. She’s a talented poet and writer, and she offered me a lyric that was inspired by a difficult time in her life. She was feeling frustrated, like so many other young people right now, about how difficult it is to find a steady job in her chosen field. I remember those years of my life—having just graduated college and feeling immense pressure amidst the “adult world.”

So, she threw me this lyric, still in formation, and I began to set it to this musical idea I was working out. I saw that it had legs and asked Bess if I could massage the lyric a bit, and she agreed. I added a second verse and chorus, which balances her initial idea of “lie in the backseat/stretched out elastic/skin-like thin” and despair, with the idea of hope and possibility – “see, time is before me/life is still forming/next destination’s a mystery.” The song ends on a note of optimism and self-empowerment. Freud’s theory poses that dreams primarily function as the fulfillment of wishes and desires—I guess this song ended up being a “wish fulfillment” for my daughter, who is so awesome and talented.

Exposed Vocals: The album has been described as whimsical, thought-provoking, and spiritual—was that intentional from the start?

Part Time Baby: Not really. I mean, I just kept writing new stuff and also reached back to reimagine some older songs (like Alive with You and Carnival Pink), as well as to cobble bits and pieces from my musical attic. I keep a trove of germinal ideas that I haven’t had the time or inspiration to cultivate, and sometimes they find their moment to sprout and bear fruit. That’s totally what happened with the song Came From a Woman, at least musically—that’s a mashup of two completely separate ideas that I initially spawned in the 1990s!

When I saw that meme, it was like a lightning bolt of electricity, and I Frankensteined the sh*t out of it. I think it works!

Exposed Vocals: What role does spirituality play in your music?

Part Time Baby: My songs often express truths and aspects of the human condition, which can feel “spiritual,” I suppose. Perhaps the most direct example of this is the song Matter of Faith from the first album, which was inspired by a quote in a movie about the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who perished in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The quote was, “There is a sky and there is a heaven—one’s a matter of height, and the other is a matter of depth.” Profound!

So, I worked with my buddy Sam Gaidemak, a brilliant lyricist, and we wrote this song. It’s spiritual, for sure. But again, I write about my life, my relationships, and things that catch my attention—and I try to do it authentically, so maybe that equates to “spirituality,” too.

Exposed Vocals: My Old Self is a standout track—can you tell us more about the inspiration behind it?

Part Time Baby: Hah, yeah! That’s a good story there. That song started out as a drunken lark, with Bess coming home from college for a break, and we celebrated a bit too much. At one point, I said to her, “Hey, let’s go down to the studio and lay down some tracks!” She sat at the keyboard, and I grabbed my Telecaster. I crunched some power chords in the key of A major, and she plunked out an angular, tinkly figure in the key of A idon’tknowwhatthefu$k! It sounded so weird and lovely.

The next day, after recovering, I came back to it and laid down a synthesizer track to really make it scream. Earlier in the year, I had been collaborating with a friend of mine, Evan Souza, who is a really talented rap artist who goes by the stage name of Darko the Super. Those songs will be coming out later this year on his upcoming album Perfect Smile. Anyway, I flew this drunken lark over to Evan and told him to have at it. Well, he had at it, and that’s the song! He’s a nut, and I love him. I think the song is a banger.

Exposed Vocals: How did the collaboration with Darko the Super come about for the My Old Self video?

Part Time Baby: Well, I mean, we HAD to make a video, right? The video was actually totally Evan’s idea. So, one day we met up at the community center where I work, set up a green screen, pulled out some props (headlamp, steak knife, jar of pink jello, lab coat, wacky glasses), and rolled. We shot some additional footage in my car, a pizzeria, and the local 7-11—so much fun!

Evan put it all together—he is a man of many talents! You can check out the video on the Exposed Vocals website and, of course, on my YouTube channel.

Exposed Vocals: What was the process of mixing and editing the video like?

Part Time Baby: You’d have to ask Evan/Darko. You should totally do an interview with him—he’s hilarious and very quick-witted!

Exposed Vocals: How has your perspective on music changed after four decades in the industry?

Part Time Baby: In terms of “the industry,” the music industry has developed with technological marvels that have enabled possibilities for independent artists that just didn’t exist in the 1990s, when I was getting started professionally. The advent of digital and social media within the broader context of the internet is something I never could have imagined as a twenty-something in the early 1990s going from gig to gig and building mailing lists. Insane! It’s a really wonderful thing.

Even AI—I see AI as a powerful tool for creators. As long as people don’t misuse it as a complete replacement for the creative process, I think it can really be brought to bear in new and transformative ways.

As a youngster, I saw music solely as a creative outlet for self-expression. Now that I am 54 years old, I see music also as a community-builder and unifier. This is a troubling time for our planet, so let’s remember that music can heal and unify. The more music we make and celebrate, the better our world will be. Creativity and imagination can be our salvation.

Exposed Vocals: Are there any artists or influences that shaped Came From a Woman?

Part Time Baby: I can tell you what I was listening to when I was making the album—that’s probably the best way to answer this question. Big Star—their first two albums. They are so wonderful, and such a sad story. It’s unbelievable to me that they never became actual big stars (maybe the name was a jinx?). But if you haven’t listened to their first two albums, then do yourself a favor and listen—#1 Record (1972) and Radio City (1974).

I was also listening to Frank Black (formerly Black Francis of The Pixies) and his 2005 album Honeycomb. It’s understated and brilliant. Also listening to the epic British band Elbow, and I was deep into their latest offering, Audio Vertigo. In fact, my wife and I, along with two dear friends, traveled to England last summer to see Elbow play a live show in the countryside. We made the cross-Atlantic pilgrimage because Elbow very rarely tours the US. But guess what? They’re coming to the US this fall, and we already have tickets to see them in Philly!

Exposed Vocals: What do you hope listeners take away from this album?

Part Time Baby: I hope people will have their thoughts provoked by this album. I hope it will make them feel positive and uplifted.

Exposed Vocals: What was the most rewarding part of creating Came From a Woman?

Part Time Baby: I think the most rewarding thing has been the reception and sharing it with family and close friends, but also complete strangers. In fact, Exposed Vocals reaching out to me out of the blue has been a joy—thank you!

Another music e-zine—Aldora Britain Records—reached out to me for an interview in a similar fashion. You can check out the interview in Issue 310. I’m planning some live shows and look forward to sharing more music in that intimate setting—should be fun!

Exposed Vocals: How do you see your music evolving in the future?

Part Time Baby: Well, I’d like to keep experimenting with guitar effects and new guitar sounds. I’d love to add a Fender Jaguar or Jazzmaster-type guitar to my toolbox. I keep discovering new synth and MIDI-controllable instruments, and I also want to play around with some new drum modules.

I’m thinking about getting Teletone Audio’s Soulfi drum module and playing around with that. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll work with a live drummer!

Exposed Vocals: If you could describe this album in three words, what would they be?

Part Time Baby: Empowering, Honest, Lush.

Exposed Vocals: What’s next for Part Time Baby after this release?

Part Time Baby: Making two albums over two years—even though it’s only 20 songs and 80 minutes of music—took a lot of time and effort. I have the beginnings of a third album, but I think I need a little break.

Work is super busy, and I have a lot of demanding and exciting things going on there. My wife and I are going to be doing some traveling this year—West Virginia and Idaho. Maybe Chicago. I’m also going to Israel this fall. I’m playing some live shows.

Life here at the beach (Ocean Grove, NJ) gets hectic in the summer. It kind of feels like 2025 won’t see me in the studio too much, but I know, God-willing, I’ll be back at it soon. I can’t help it!

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Part Time Baby is not just an artist—he’s a storyteller, a sonic architect weaving emotion and experience into every note. Came From a Woman isn’t just an album; it’s an exploration of self, resilience, and the power of music to both heal and challenge. There’s something undeniably raw yet masterfully composed about this record—a sense that every track carries weight, every lyric has lived experience behind it. Whether it’s the whimsy of Lawnchair Larry, the introspection of My Old Self, or the anthemic message of the title track, this album does what great music should: it makes you feel, it makes you think, and it lingers long after the final note fades.

Part Time Baby’s music thrives in the in-between—between past and present, between genres, between structure and spontaneity. It’s an album that feels as comfortable in a dusty vinyl collection as it does in a modern playlist, nodding to legends while forging its own unapologetic path. If you haven’t yet pressed play on Came From a Woman, now is the time. Whether you’re looking for something nostalgic, something fresh, or simply something real, this album delivers. Dive in, absorb it, and let it become part of your own story.