New York City has always been vibrant; full of life and creativity. Sometimes it’s the place where it’s all happening. Whether it’s Soho, the Lower East Side, Manhattan, or Brooklyn it seems something somewhere is just about to make big things happen. Is White Rabbits, a young Brooklyn sextet, set to return attention to NYC’s vibrant music, art, and fashion? Are these Midwest expatriates ready to show what they got?
“If we’re going to do it, we’re going to go all the way,” says guitarist and vocalist, Greg Roberts. These Columbia, MO natives packed it all up two years ago, and set out for the big city, bypassing the increasingly hip and safe (thank God!) Chicago for the storied brownstones and sullied streets of New York City - the city that never sleeps, and often never stops delivering great band after great band. “We took it as far as we could in Columbia. It’s a great college town, but we needed another outlet for our music. It’s funny that Chicago is right near Missouri, and we had plenty of friends who moved up north, but we wanted to go where we could make the biggest impact,” says pianist/keyboardist and vocalist, Steve Patterson, “the quality of music has never changed in New York, but the public eye has definitely switched...though, we don’t let it get to us...let New York become too overwhelming. We’re confident, and I think that’s what matters.” Roberts continues, “Bowie went to Berlin to pursue his music, and likewise we’ve moved to New York. People have to pursue their imaginations, and you just have to go where the music takes you; where you have commonalities. For us that’s New York City.”
Indeed White Rabbits on their debut album, Fort Nightly, create a brash and rhythmic form of not contemporary, but definitely not retro multi-instrumental/multi-vocal rock, not even averse to a little bit of bouncy piano pop now and then. Above all White Rabbits try all sorts of flavors and varieties, never limiting their scope or suppressing their inhibitions and inclinations. The Specials, Harry Nilsson, The Pogues, and even a little Randy Newman suffuse this well-crafted debut, though they sound nothing like them. “They say, ‘You have that Brooklyn sound,’” says Patterson, “and though our music has definitely changed since we moved to NYC, and the change of the artistic environment, it’s been more about the influence of the experiences, playing at so many different venues and with so many bands, and the diversity of the music scene and the many different attitudes of New Yorkers, rather than emulating our fellow musicians that has influenced us most.”
The Walkmen, French Kicks, and The National do come to mind upon listening to the Rabbits, but so do British brethren Field Music, The Veils, and The Clientele, showing the Rabbits penchant for fine pop music, rather than conformation to any sort of “scene.” For the sextet it’s been about constantly changing their music, making the alterations that will continue to diversify and individualize their art. Producer Chris Zane helped them along the way, providing the newly signed youngsters with the guidance and direction needed for their sudden and fortuitous debut. “Chris was very hands on, but also democratic, allowing open dialogue about the progression of the album. He even layered the album with so much percussion that we had to bring on our sixth member, Jamie Levinson, to cover the extra percussion on tour. The production went well; we didn’t want to create an album that was too polished with a lot of bells and whistles. Old, but new. Not timeless, but I guess there’s no better word for it,” continues Roberts.
“We don’t wear our influences on our sleeves, but we make it evident what we’re trying to perform. At live shows we cover The Pogues and The Specials, but we don’t make it our priority to sound just like them. We want to be them, not like them. Our love of ska, especially the darker second Specials album, has greatly influenced our music, but, like The Specials who were trying to emulate Jamaican reggae and blue beat, we’re trying to further elaborate on what they’ve already done,” says Roberts.
White Rabbits have a soft spot for the British ska and the jaunty pub rock of The Pogues, but they’re far from being just another group of lads. “We’re a very American band. Rhythm and Blues and Everly Brothers are just as important to us as the other influences. We have upcoming gigs with The Cribs and Mystery Jets, but we especially look forward to sharing the bill with Richard Swift. We share a love for American music - its history and style,” asserts Patterson.
Music from the heart and music from the soul often come from the common man, the day laborer, the blue collar worker. Whereas British music often comes from the mind, and is much more crafted, intelligent, and angular, American music history symbolizes one omnipresent principle: soul. The Rabbits have soul. Fort Nightly is intelligent and creatively crafted but, like so many excellent American bands, it’s got more to do with what the heart says, rather than the mind.
--Wes Barker
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WHITE RABBITS' FORT NIGHTLY is released May 22, 2007 on Say Hey Records.
http://www.sayheyrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/whiterabbits
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