Interview: San Antonio Hard Rock Band White Rabbit Talk About Their "Natural Disaster" EP
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“The band was always our escape to a place where it was O.K. to like GNR, The Ramones, RHCP, or Tool. Each one of us has our reasons why certain bands influence us, but at the end of the day, it’s the kickass sound and “no f*cks given” attitude of Rock N’ Roll.”
Congratulations on the release of the "Natural Disaster" EP; tell us about the band's creative process for the EP's five songs and how long it took to complete.
Every song on the EP has its own story. We don't really follow a set formula in creating our music. Some of the songs one of us wrote in its entirety, other songs we all sat down and wrote it together, it really just depends on the song.
The great thing about us four having played together so long, and having the chemistry we do is that regardless of the dynamics of how the song came together, our songs will always capture the essence of who we are as a band, rather than as individuals.
It took roughly 3-4 months to complete the EP, which we are really proud of considering the fact that it was our very first experience putting together and releasing our own original music. We can't take complete credit for that though, as we had an incredible producer in Will Braun, who really showed us the ropes and guided us through the process. He was pretty much a 5th member of the band while we were in the studio and we couldn't have asked for better.
Why did you decide to shoot a music video for "N.S.A.", and how did you and director Xavier Rowe come up with its treatment?
We wanted to make a video that captured two things: our music and our personality. As a rock band, we genuinely love playing our instruments and performing live, so it seemed fitting that the video should have a heavy component of us doing what rock bands do: rocking out. Along with that though, we wanted the video to capture us being ourselves.
When we aren't busy being musicians, we're all just a bunch of guys in their 20's who love to party and have fun, so we really wanted to show that to people. In today's day and age, a lot of people our age wouldn't give a rock band a second look, so we figured the best way to keep people's ears would be to show their eyes something that they would enjoy and relate to. What came out is what you see in the video. Just a fun, rockin' boat party.
Big shoutout to Xavier Rowe at Snow Owl Media for directing the video. He was great to work with and brought our vision to life, and we can't thank him enough for that.
What is it about bands like GNR, Metallica, AC/DC and Buckcherry that have influenced White Rabbit?
Like a lot of people our age, our parents shared their music with us. All of our dads grew up in the 80s listening to all the great rock bands of that time. What makes us different is that the music stuck. None of us could ever really get on board with mainstream music like most of our friends did.
The band was always our escape to a place where it was O.K. to like GNR, The Ramones, RHCP, or Tool. Each one of us has our reasons why certain bands influence us, but at the end of the day, it's the kickass sound and "no f*cks given" attitude of Rock N' Roll. Thick guitar riffs, shredding solos, pounding drums, thumping bass. The very basic building blocks of rock music, which are pretty much non-existent in mainstream music at the moment. Everything those bands did in the 80's is what we want to emulate in 2020.
You guys have done an immense amount of touring over the years; has there been a venue that you enjoy performing at the most, or are they all the same at this point?
Every venue is different. For us, every show we've ever done has had its own unique vibe. We've played festivals, parades, clubs, bars, you name it. Every single gig has its own challenges and obstacles, and it's always fun to experience that.
That being said, you don't know excitement until you've performed a show during Fiesta in San Antonio, Texas. The people are wild, drunk, and looking for great music. We like to say that Fiesta is like Mardi Gras with Mexican food.
All jokes aside, we play Fiesta events every year and it never gets old. If you're ever in SA during the month of April, check out some of the Fiesta events, we promise you won't be disappointed.
How would you describe the rock music scene in San Antonio? Are there a lot of venues to perform at, and are locals supportive of homegrown talent?
San Antonio has been a great place for us to develop musically. There is great rock music coming out of SA, but for the most part, SA bands lean closer to heavy metal than hard rock.
In terms of venues, there are a decent amount of rock clubs looking for rock or metal artists, but we have come to figure out that we get our best exposure when we perform at festivals or events (which SA has an abundance of), because it gives us the opportunity to win over a crowd who didn't necessarily come to hear a rock band. By doing that, we gain fans and followers of all musical tastes rather than just headbangers.
We have found an incredible amount of support in San Antonio through those festivals and events, and it's why we continue to enjoy playing in our hometown to this day.
With the EP and music video now released, what are some of the band's goals musically for the rest of 2020?
Right now, the goal is to continue giving our most recent EP as much exposure as possible. As of now we have another music video in the works, and other content surrounding the release as well.
We will be getting back into the studio in the next few weeks to start working on material for our next EP which does not have a set release date yet, but will likely release before the end of the year.
With coronavirus putting a hold on pretty much any possible live shows, we are trying to build an arsenal of material for our fans to enjoy from home, which will hopefully fire them up enough to come check us out live when it's safe to do so.