Isaac Davis Jr., of Juniors Cave out of Georgia, interviewed Heather about Blue Rabbit's place in the music industry at large, and about what it feels like to be part of the San Francisco indie music scene.........
You can read it all right here:
http://www.juniorscave.com/BlueRabbit.html
Or right here:
With a unique sound that will certainly draw you in when you hear the
band for the first time, Blue Rabbit has creatively captured a haunting
melodic flavor that is female fronted with a twist. The twist is that
the band's sound is indescribable which makes them a winner in the age
of so many bands sounding the same. In this recent spotlight with
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit, our Webzine had the pleasure to get to
know the band in this fun feature.
Isaac: What was the best part of 2008 for you musically?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: My favorite phase was the whole
process of recording our debut LP, "Separate." Don't get me wrong,
playing shows is a blast, and it's fun to connect with people and share
the music face to face, but I can't help but adore the long hours in a
cozy wooden room, listening to snippets and cutting and pasting and
tweaking with effects and laughing and thinking and sipping on whiskey
or wine until the wee hours. I think my favorite part of the year was
finalizing the mixes with Kevin, and trying our hands at 'producing'.
Isaac: What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment for 2008?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: Our biggest accomplishment had to be releasing the album in November and throwing a
CD release
party. It was a year and half in the making, and just the cover art
alone took months from concept to finished piece. I could really say
that for me, that album was about 12 years in the making. I've always
wanted to record a finished set of songs and set them free. It was
exhilarating to see so much work finally coalesce into something
tangible and beautiful. Plus - it's a thrill to finally be able to give
people music to take home and listen to in their homes and cars. Before
that, you had to catch us live!
Isaac: Describe the music scene in area.
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: I love the San Francisco music scene!
I must say I don't have another to compare it to, as it's the only one
I've known. But I can say that we played roughly 50 local shows since
our first one in 2006, and almost all of them were booked by other
local bands who invited us to play. We have made so many band-friends!
Everyone really seems to support and encourage each other. We've shared
musicians, gear, and rehearsal spaces, and every experience has been
awesome. It's a rather small
music world
in the city, and it feels like an expansive family. We've been very
graciously embraced - and I feel so lucky, because this is my first
'real' band, and I was a little intimidated at first, imagining how it
might be..like scary, or competitive, cut-throat - but it's not at all.
My answer makes me think of another interview I did. I was interviewing
with someone from LA and they recommended we cut a part out that was
like what I just said above, because it sounded too "lovey-dovey
new-agey." He then said something funny, that every band he interviews
out of SF is "too blissed out freakin happy and all peace and love and
shit." So, I don't know how it is elsewhere, but I'd say it's true - we
are pretty happy! I can't lie.
Isaac: What has been the best venue to perform at and why?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: That's a tricky one. There are a
few.....but picking one quickly, I'd have to say Cafe du Nord was quite
a treat! They have an adorable little 'green room', an awesome
soundperson, and beforehand, they actually feed you an amazing buffet
dinner, straight from their awesome kitchen! Plus, the place has always
been a favorite for all of us as show-goers - it's dark and wooden and
gorgeous, slinky and long, with pool tables and class. It used to be a
speakeasy, and it has that oldschool vibe. Also - we just played The
Independent for the first time, and the people who ran the sounds and
lights blew us away. They really transformed the whole show - even for
us! They were wowing us while we were playing.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about who your biggest influences in the
music industry were and why?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: Between all of us, there's a virtually
endless list.....but to pick a phase of life and narrow it down, I'll
say this. There was a time when I listened to Cat Power and Elliot
Smith and The Pretenders and Radiohead round the clock. That was around
the time when I first started playing my own songs on the guitar and
singing them to my roommates. I think my love for those albums made me
unable to think of anything else but making music.
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: I feel that I've always been horrible
at doing things the 'right' or 'regular' way, even when I try. I think
what Blue Rabbit is bringing to the industry is songs that are much
unshaped by commercial standards. I've actually spent a ton of time
studying the craft of writing popular music, but we haven't yet quite
employed the tricks of the trade. Maybe I will, but so far, our first
LP was recorded pretty much just as the songs first occurred to me in
my dreams, or in my subconscious, with no concern for song structure. I
think what we bring is storytelling, hope, magical imagery, honesty,
and we do it in our very own strange and unique way. I had no idea what
I was doing when I formed the band or wrote those songs, and I think
that's part of what makes them - and us - special.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: Sorry I have to name four. There are
hundreds. Radiohead, because they shaped about a decade of my life, and
I love how they are always changing and exploring and pioneering new
ground. The Dears, because I feel I could learn so much from their
musical creative process. Arcade Fire, because I think their band and
ours could form a massive, mindblowing army of a band that takes over
the world in a musical way. And Mother Mother, because I think we'd
have an absolute blast on tour with them.
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: Modern baroque
indie pop.
Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from fans about your music?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: Well, since they're fans, their
feedback is always sweet and loving and encouraging. A lot of people
say that they love to learn the lyrics and sing along, or that they
adore the harmonies. Oh - and the harp! Our harpist is a hot item for
many fans. She's amazing on stage and gets the audience so fired up!
Anywhere we take her and her harp, we make new fans fast.
Isaac: Where can fans locate you at online?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit:
www.bluerabbitmusic.com
Isaac: What can fans expect from you in the next five years?
Heather Anderson of Blue Rabbit: An extensive US Tour, a
single released
in the UK, a European tour next summer (we hope) and album of new songs
out per year (we're working on #2 now). I also hope to play live with
more guest musicians, so fans should expect to see us embellish
ourselves at live shows with violin, synths, accordions,
bass guitar, and saxophone. We definitely have a 'the more the merrier' sort of vibe.