Rabbits take bite at Quebec home
(interVue - Nov.7, 1996)
By Steven Sandor
The formula is simple: said band gets popular in said hometown before going
for the brass ring.
Not so for Montreal's Local Rabbits. Hailing from the anglo West Island
burbs, the band's quirky mix of genres, from straight-ahead rock to country
to indie-rock, has failed to capture the interests of the denizens of the
world's second largest francophone city.
Signed to Sloan-owned, Halifax-based murderecords last year, the band
brought together a diverse mix of styles (all the members switch off on
vocals) and a few select covers (listen for the rendition of Hank Williams'
"Move It On Over") to its 1996 debut, You Can't Touch This. The record,
critically acclaimed in the Rest of Canada, has garnered the band the
reputation as one of our top up-and-coming acts. Remember to check out "The
Rez", a pointed shot at Nine Inch Nails' guru Trent Reznor and the world of
corporate rock.
The band's (guitarist Peter Elkas, guitarist Ben Gunning, bassist Johnny T.
Starr and a new drummer who goes by the name of Jason) recording career
began with the EnGuard EP, Super Duper. Then, the band passed a demo tape of
themselves to Sloan's Jay Ferguson at a gig. Ferguson got them signed and
produced You Can't Touch This.
The album - 18 tracks long - features songs penned by members of the entire
band. There's no true lead-man in the Local Rabbits.
"There's no dictatorship in this band," says Gunning. "Everyone is doing
something they want to be doing.
"We're pretty happy with the record. We had a whole bunch of songs, so we
felt it could be long and still be solid. We do listen to a lot of different
stuff. We like different types of music."
The band is embarking on a three-week Canadian tour with a couple of
American stops thrown in. Previous stops south of the border have proven
fruitful for the Local Rabbits.
"We've played in midwestern New York and things went really good for us.
We've also played in a few places in the midwest and got a gig opening for
Kelley Deal in Boise, Idaho - that led to a mini-tour in Ontario with her."
So, you'd think all the success and the murderecords connection would gain
the band some acceptance in its home city. No way. Montreal loves the Local
Rabbits - the same way it loves the Maple Leafs.
"We're kind of lost in the shuffle," says Gunning. "We don't think Montreal
appreciates us too much. Making music in Montreal is an ordeal. We didn't
really want to be part of the scene. We didn't like the other bands, anyway.
"For us, it really sucks to headline a show in Montreal. It's too much work
for nothing."
The core of the group has been together since high school days. Gunning is
only 20 and the band has been together for five years already. The band is
planning on releasing a 7" this December and hopes to have a new album out
next summer.
Being on murderecords makes it easy for critics to pigeonhole the Local
Rabbits as being part of the Maritime Music scene, made popular by the
success of Sloan, Eric's Trip, Jale, et al.
"I don't think we fit in with them at all," says Gunning. "I think we
attract some people who are interested in murderecords, so it is beneficial.
"But in the end, they either like your music or not. If they come to the
shows because we're on murderecords, that's fine with me."
CONTRIBUTED BY: Chrissie Walker