White Rabbits

White Rabbits come to NYC via the arid plains of the Mid West. Although they have been in The City for just over a year, they have managed to catch the attention of Say Hey Records and producer Chris Zane (Shy Child, Asobi Seksu, Les Savy Fav) with their stellar songwriting ability and instrumental aplomb.

Lead by dual vocalists, Greg Roberts (Guitar / Vox) and Steve Patterson (Piano / Vox), the 6 piece is rounded out by Alex Even (Guitar / Vox), Adam Russell (Bass), Matt “The Duck” Clark (Drums) and Jamie Levinson (Drums). With a certain joie de vive, playfulness and charm White Rabbits thematically evoke the more decadent and bygone era of days spent on the green, old cinemas “Tourist Trap”, tragic mothers “Navy Wives”, and restrained, but no less awkward domestic disputes, with the first single, “The Plot.”

Added to their arsenal are 3 part vocal harmonies that texture the album throughout. White Rabbits even showcase the occasional group chant, best exampled on Fort Nightly’s opening track “Kid On My Shoulders” as it thunders to its conclusion. White Rabbit’s penchant for more tropical excursions such as on “I Used To Complain Now I Don’t”, featuring the horns of Beirut’s (Jon Natchez), are, at times, reminiscent of The Specials or Madness.

The band also has a keen ear for the occasional cover song, and the old instrument switcheroo on stage. Anyone who has had the chance to see White Rabbits live will be able to attest first hand to the joy and effervescence that they exude on stage. True camaraderie in fact. Their sets have gained the band a large and growing audience and led them to share bills with Peter Bjorn & John, The Walkmen, Richard Swift and others. A full tour is planned for the late spring as well.

White Rabbits have succeeded in realizing a tremendously vibrant and creative debut record with Fort Nightly. They communicate joy without being cloying or saccharine sweet, and the listeners could easily find themselves clapping along to any one of the darker moments. White Rabbits combine style and panache, both musical and personal, for a thoroughly fresh and unexpected experience. This is certainly one to follow through the looking glass…

At first, it's easy to mistake the White Rabbits for just another set of New York City dance-rock hipsters in the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah tradition, but a second look reveals a quirkier and more rewarding aesthetic. A sextet featuring two drummers and a piano player, the White Rabbits refer to their music as "honky tonk calypso," and their cheerful blend of calypso, reggae and ska rhythms, plus secondhand music hall influences and big pop hooks, strongly recalls vintage Madness circa "Our House" and the moodier, more experimental side of the Specials and Fun Boy Three, via Ted Leo & the Pharmacists. The White Rabbits began in Columbia, MO, in 2004, when college students Greg Roberts and Stephen Patterson bonded while working at a local record store. Moving to New York in 2005, Roberts (vocals and guitar) and Patterson (vocals, piano and percussion) fleshed out the White Rabbits with guitarist Alex Even, bassist Adam Russell and dual drummers Matt Clark and Jamie Levinson. Signing with Say Hey Records in the U.S. and Young Turks Records in Great Britain, the White Rabbits connected with hot New York indie producer Chris Zane (Asobi Seksu, Les Savy Fav) to record their debut album Fort Nightly. Preceded by the dramatic first single "The Plot," Fort Nightly was released in the summer of 2007. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide