Interview with Dead Rabbits

April 26, 2010 1 Comment

Dead Rabbits is a unique and fresh take on some fucking awesome southern psychedelia; mixing a bluesy feel with sharp, raspy vocals and sweet melodic and funky guitar riffs. They span the musical range introducing listeners with a taste of the 60s and a mouthful of attitude. For being just a duo, Dead Rabbits has an amazingly large sound. The music is loud and full of texture. Its thunderous melodies lead by themselves, posturing the music and vocals to a level you don’t find too often. There aren’t too many bands that I’ve come across that sound as comfortable in their skin as Dead Rabbits and that makes their sound all the more powerful and far reaching.

The band is currently planning a tour for this summer and they will be playing the Strange Days Festival at the Masquerade on Saturday and Sunday, August 14th and 15th 2010. I highly recommend you come to the Festival not just to see this band but many other amazing acts that get to join them. Its worth it for Dead Rabbits alone, however. Here is an interview with the band…

B: So how do you guys know each other? What do you play in the band?

Lucas and I have known each other since 2002, freshman year of high school, and have played in four different bands together over the years. We started out as a garage punk band and our style has gradually progressed to what it is today. Dead Rabbits was formed when our previous band, Royal Family, broke up, in early 2009. Lucas plays the drums and sings back up vocals and I play the guitar and lead vocals.

B: How are you feeling about the Strange Days Fest? Would you agree its going to be one of the best festivals Atlanta has to offer all year?

I think the Strange Daze Fest is going to be a great opportunity. The Fest has a great line-up and I feel like it is trying to bring Atlanta bands together. Atlanta is kind of a cut throat city when it comes to music and there really needs to be more unity among musicians.

B: Are there any bands that are playing the festival that you’re looking forward to seeing?

We’re really looking forward to seeing all the bands. Atlanta has quite a diverse music scene and each band brings something new to the table.

B: Do you have any albums out now or coming soon that we should know about?

We just released our debut album “The Rabbit That Roared” this February.

B: Cool, who produced it? Where did you guys record?

We had a particular sound in mind when we started the album, so we actually ended up producing, recording, mixing, and mastering all the tracks ourselves. You can check out our music at myspace.com/killthedeadrabbit we also have some live footage on youtube.

B: So tell me some of your goals as a band?

Making music thats real, not complicated and over produced, gritty, not flashy. Also…ten million dollars.

B: Describe a Dead Rabbits show? What experience above all others do you hope fans take away from the show?

We bring a lot of energy to the stage, we have a very refreshing sound, and we love when folks really let themselves get into the performance. We really want people to walk away from a show excited to see us again.

B: What do you like most about writing and playing music?

Personally, I like how I can’t control it. When a song comes to me, it possesses me, it takes over my mind and I don’t even realize what’s going on until it’s finished. I feel like a lot of bands write songs for fun or to connect to their listeners, but for me its something I have to do, its a compulsion.

B: What are some non-music related influences that the band shares that have helped along the way?

I can’t really pick a handful of things, everything has some influence on our music. It could be as little as a brief interaction with a stranger or as big as a life changing event. This is why I think our music is so personal and honest.

B: What are your thoughts on the current state of the Atlanta music scene? How does it treat Dead Rabbits?

I feel like Atlanta has a ton of great music, a lot of great venues, and a lot of diversity. However, I think some people are still too concerned with image and getting into the right musical clique. It should always be about the music first, not worrying about appeasing what some people view as the “atlanta elite”. Although we feel a little bit socially awkward in the Atlanta music scene we’ve still been met with nothing but great positivity.

B: What local bands would you recommend to your fans and fans of local music?

Rabbit, The Hot & Cold, and Ponderosa.

B: Where is your favorite place to drink in Atlanta?

The Local & The Graveyard

B: Where do you buy your shoes?

Generous hand-me-downs from bands with money…thanks StoneFox!

B: Tell us how you advertise for your shows?

Social networking, flyers, and CD samplers.

B: When I searched for you band online their were a couple bands with your name. Do you have anything to say to other bands named Dead Rabbits?

What a stupid name.

B: Any closing statements or thoughts?

We are currently working on taking our sound to the next level and making our music more unique. We are really excited about getting our new songs out into the world, so be on the lookout for new tunes soon.?

Dead Rabbits-Wolf People@The Nick, Birmingham

Dead Rabbits | MySpace Music Videos

from their debut album…

Dead Rabbits on MySpAcE